To Protect and Love
by MaryAnnEwing
Summary: Most police officers serve and protect. Others, like Edward and Bella, protect and love. But, what will happen to their love when tragedy strikes? Rated M for future content. All Human
1. Prologue

**A/N: This is my first fanfic. Please, review and offer constructive criticism. However, please do be nice.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

"Stop! Put the gun down!" Bella shouted over the roar of the car's engine. She was using the passenger side door as a barrier between the gunman and herself. A loud bang and the shattering of the car window were his response.

She jumped up and took a shot just as he was doing the same. They fell at the same time. The pain was excruciating. She struggled through it to take one more look, and another shot if needed, just as she heard another two shots and saw the gunman fall once more.

She looked under the car, towards the front, and saw Edward lying on his side, holding his gun steady in the direction the gunman had been shooting from, bleeding from his wounded leg.

Once he saw it was clear to move, Edward dragged himself to Bella. He pulled open her uniform shirt and removed her vest to get a clear view. He placed his hands on her chest in the hopes of stopping her bleeding. Their vests, though great under normal circumstances, did nothing to protect against the armor-piercing bullets the gunman used in his .338 Lapua Magnum.

Sirens began to ring out, echoing off the walls of the buildings.

He leaned over, looking into her partially shut eyes. "Come on, Bells. Don't close your eyes. Look at me."

Bella's eyes opened briefly, gazing into Edward's own emerald green ones. It was the last thing she saw as she succumbed to the agonizing burning and throbbing.


	2. Graveyard Shift

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

_The alley was dark as she walked along, tailing a suspect that was wanted for the serial murder of eight young children._

_She kept to the darkest shadows, hoping she would go unnoticed until backup arrived. However, she knew it would only be a matter of time before he sensed her presence._

_She held her pistol in her hand, ready to react at the first sign of danger._

_A tingle crawled up her spine. Something didn't feel right._

_In the blink of an eye, he disappeared. As she spun to locate him, a hand clamped over her mouth._

_Something hit her in the back of the head, causing her ears to ring._

"Ugh", Bella moaned as she reached out her hand to turn off her alarm. She hated the late shift. It usually led to these types of nightmares.

She literally rolled out of bed, placing her feet on the hardwood floor below her. The cold caused her to shudder. Mother Nature was being a bitch to the state right now. Usually Georgia winters were mild, but she felt it needed to have Chicago-type weather this year.

She went into her en suite, turning on the water so that she would be able to take her steamy, wake-up shower. She undressed and stepped in, becoming alert the minute the water hit her head. She wet her long hair and lathered it with shampoo. After rinsing, she repeated with conditioner.

She always washed her hair before her body because of the age of the hot water heater. If she did it opposite, she would run out of hot water before her conditioner was completely rinsed out. She learned this the hard way a long time ago.

Bella quickly lathered up the soap and washed the rest of her, taking the last couple minutes to shave. The water turned cold just as she was taking the final swipe with the razor.

She climbed out and put on her robe after wrapping her hair in a towel. She stepped over to the sink, proceeding to brush her teeth and put on her moisturizer. This dry air was wreaking havoc on her skin.

She went into the kitchen and made her "breakfast." Working the late shift, she ended up sleeping most of the day. _I will be so glad when this month is over_, Bella thought. She would be back on the morning shift then.

She glanced at the clock. Only an hour left before she had to report. She went back to her bathroom and released her hair from its confines. The dark brown curls tumbled down her back. She smiled as she remembered fondly who gave her those beautiful curls, thinking of the last time she saw her.

"_Mommy, why did you name me Bella?" Her mother chuckled at her six-year-old self. "Honey, I named you that because Bella means beautiful. You were, and still are, a beautiful girl. But, remember, your name is Isabella."_

_She scrunched up her face. "So, what does that mean?" She smiled as she hugged her. "Well, I guess you could say that Isabella means is a beauty." Her mother knew this wasn't the correct meaning, but it worked for Bella. "OOOhhhhhh."_

That was one of the last conversations she had with her mother, Renee. She and Bella's father Charlie, a state patrolman, were shot and killed that evening by a carjacker. Their death was one of the reasons Bella was now in her current profession.

Her brother, Emmett, was eight at the time. They had to spend the rest of their younger years with their grandmother, until she passed away just before Bella turned 21. By that time, Emmett had already started his career as well, and was married to one of Bella's best friends. So, he let her keep the house but made it a point to move just two houses down so he could keep an eye on her.

Bella pulled a brush through her hair and then twisted it up into a bun. She pulled on her panties, sports bra, and T-shirt. She then strapped on her vest before slipping into her uniform.

She walked back out to her bedroom, grabbing a pair of socks from the dresser and her boots from beside it. After putting them on, she went back to the living room.

She sat on the couch to read the paper for a few minutes. Thankfully, she lived in a backwoods town, so there wasn't much going on right now. Glancing at her watch she noticed she needed to go.

She took her belt from the coat rack by the door. After hooking it around her waist, she went to her gun safe to get her 9 mil. As she took it out, her eyes rested on her father's revolver. The pain squeezed her chest as she thought about how much she missed them. Twenty-two years tomorrow, and it still felt like yesterday.

Mentally shaking herself, Bella slid her gun into its holster, grabbed her heavy work coat, and headed for the door.

The wind was brutal, cutting through even the thickest layers of her clothes. _Thank God I have a warm car I'll be spending the evening in_, she thought.

As much as she loved that Charger, she loved her baby even more. She wanted to pull the cover off of her 1967 Shelby. She was gloss black with matching leather interior. Instead, Bella took the cover off her cruiser. She glanced longingly at the silhouette of her baby, wishing she had the day off.

When her grandfather died in World War II, her grandmother did not want to remarry and became a feminist. She wanted to do everything men could and made it a point to learn about cars. She found Shelby when Bella was 16 and insisted they fix it up together. She taught her all about American muscle, and the young woman loved every minute of it. Naturally, she turned out just like her grandmother which is why she encouraged Bella to apply to the force when she said she wanted to be like her dad. She supported her all the way through the academy, right up until she died just before Bella's graduation.

Bella got in the Charger, her work car, and turned the key, listening to the engine purr in response. She sounded brand new, just the way a good car should. Shivering, she turned the heat up, letting it defrost her body. That was the advantage of a car cover. Her windshield was always clear.

She put it in drive and headed out to the station. She only lived a few blocks away. She didn't trust her partner with the car due to his lead foot, so having to drive the cruiser home, she wasn't able to just walk it. She pulled into her spot, turned off the car, and climbed out.

As she was walking to the door, she waved at a couple of the guys that were leaving, glad that they had gotten over their issues with her. In a small town like this, women aren't supposed to do a "man's job." That was probably why her two best friends became nurses. However, when the guys finally realized that she was just as good, if not better, than almost all of them, they started to make an attempt to see her as an equal. Her dad being who he was didn't hurt either. He was the original captain before moving on to the state.

She went into the meeting room, waiting for the briefing to begin. She chatted with the guys for a while before the captain, Harry Clearwater, came in. He filled them in on everything that was happening and had happened, and then they left to start their patrol.

Bella was headed back out to the cruiser when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She spun around, ready to punch whoever it might have been. So she had the occasional paranoid tendency, who doesn't?

"Whoa, Jackie Chan! It's just me." Her partner and good friend, Edward Cullen, was holding his hands up in surrender, looking somewhat scared. She laughed at the sight.

"I can't believe you're scared of little, ole me!" She was doubled over at the thought of 6'3", 225 pound Edward, terrified of 5'4", 120 pound her.

He huffed as he placed his hands on his hips. "Well, it's not like I don't have reason to be. You've taken down every one of us in the gym." She nodded, agreeing with him. "If I didn't, I would still be trying to prove myself, now wouldn't I?"

"Okay, you've got a point there. You gonna let me drive tonight?" He poked out his lip, begging. The sight was too cute to say no. She tossed him the keys and, still laughing, climbed in the passenger side.

He jumped in the driver's seat, acting like a kid on Christmas morning. "Now, be careful with her. She isn't used to your lead foot." He grinned like the Cheshire cat. "You know you can trust me." Bella just shook her head. _What did I get myself into_?


	3. Realizations

**A/N: Just so you know. They live in the south. You are going to see some words that are common down here (I too am from the south). They are intentionally spelled that way.**

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"Cullen, can you pull into the nearest drive-thru? I'm starving." Bella's stomach had started growling about 30 minutes before and was finally getting on her nerves.

"Sure, no prob. What ya want?" She leaned over to look at the menu. "Uh, just a double cheese burger, fries, and a sweet tea."

After placing their orders, they pulled around to the window, chatting about different things while waiting. "So, IQ, you off tomorrow?" He knew it was the anniversary of her parents' death.

Before she responded, however, she slugged him in the arm. "Ow! What was that for?"

She shot him a scowl. "You know I hate when people call me that. And, yes, I am off tomorrow which means that you are too and so is Em."

She got the nickname IQ for two reasons. One, she was exceptionally smart, with an IQ in the 180s. That and her physical abilities allowed her to graduate at the top of her academy class. Two, she tended to give the guys the cold shoulder if they showed any form of interest in her that went beyond being strictly platonic. Therefore, the IQ also stood for Ice Queen.

"Sorry, it just slipped. I won't do it again, Swan. Or at least I'll try not to." Bella nodded, accepting his apology.

The worker hung out the window to hand their food to them, casting a very appreciative look Bella's way.

When he noticed she wasn't looking, Edward shot the young guy a look that said "Back the hell off!"

Their night went fairly quiet. The occasional traffic stop and that was it. They continued their chatter just killing time.

About half way through their shift, Edward started to shift uncomfortably, almost like he wanted to say something but wouldn't. He was running his fingers through his short, bronze hair and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Alright, out with it Eddie. I know something is bothering you." Bella looked at him, worry showing on her face.

"First, don't call me that. You know I hate that." She grinned because she did, in fact, say it as a payback for the IQ comment. "Second, Bells, did you read the paper this afternoon?" She nodded. "Yeah, some of it. Why?"

He looked down at his lap, fiddling with his fingers, not wanting to break the news to her. "Well, I guess Em hasn't either. Otherwise, he would have told you. The guy who shot your folks is getting paroled this week."

She felt her heart drop out of her chest. She shook her head, refusing to accept what he just told her. "It's only been 22 years. It's too soon."

Hesitantly, he reached over to lay a consoling hand on her arm. He hated seeing her like this. In fact, the only time he saw her upset was at her grandmother's funeral. Normally, she was the strong willed woman her grandmother raised her to be.

What he wasn't expecting was the jolt that shot through him when his hand made contact. Trying to ignore it, he spoke softly. "I'm so sorry. The article said something about good behavior in conjunction with time served."

When she turned her head to look at him, the sight about broke his heart. Two single tears slid silently down her cheeks. He gently brushed them away. "Are you okay?"

Bella shrugged. "I'm not sure. I wonder if Em knows about this yet." No sooner had the words left her mouth, her phone began to ring.

"Hey, Em."

"_Hey, sis. From the sound of your voice, I assume you know why I'm calling."_

"Yeah, Edward just told me."

"_Are you going to be okay?"_

"I guess. I'm still trying to process it."

"_I know. Me too. Well, I know you're on your shift. But, I just wanted to tell you that if you need to talk about this, don't be afraid to call me. Day or night."_

"I won't, big brother."

"_I'm serious. Don't let me find out you're holding all this shit in and not talking."_

Bella chuckled lightly. "I won't. If I can't catch you, I'll find someone else to talk to. Or, I'll take it out on the bag."

"_Ugh, poor bag. Alright, well, you be careful tonight. I love you, Bells."_

"I love you, too, Bubba." She closed her phone and looked up to see her partner giving her a look she'd never seen before. His green eyes were darker than normal, some emotion in them she couldn't quite decipher. "Dude, what's your issue?"

Edward shook his head. "Nothing, I'm fine." She gave him another curious look, but knowing he wouldn't say anything, dropped the subject.

"So, Em called to let you know, huh?" She nodded. "Yeah, but from the way I sounded, he knew I already knew. Thanks for telling me."

He smiled slightly. "No prob. That's what partners are here for."

"Yeah, apparently ya'll are good punching bags too. Em said I can't keep the shit in so I have to either talk or take it out on you."

The look of horror on his face caused her to double over in laughter. "Oh, man. I'm sorry. That was too funny. He didn't say that, Cullen. He said to use the bag, like I suggested." Her face was turning red from laughing.

"That wasn't funny. I know the way you hit when you're joking. I definitely ain't going to be on the receiving end of a pissed off punch." His face was slowly returning to normal, but there was still a little fear in his eyes.

"Dude, I told you I'm sorry. You know me better than almost anyone. Have you ever seen me really hit anyone?" He sat thoughtful for a moment. "You know, now that you mention it, I don't think I have. No more than sparring at the gym."

"Alright then. You know I'd never hit anyone just to relieve stress. Especially not you." Those last words were spoken so quietly he almost didn't hear them. Almost.

Edward looked up at her, meeting her eyes. She turned away quickly, her face slightly pink from embarrassment. There was something in her voice that cut straight to his soul. _Naw, I'm imagining things. It's just been a real emotional night, that's all._

The next few hours flew by, and before they knew it, it was time to return to the station. When they arrived, they both climbed out of the car.

"Now, remember," Edward began, "if you want or need to talk or just want to go to the gym to blow off steam and Em ain't around, don't be afraid to call me. I don't mind standing in as your big brother." _Or, something more. Whoa, where did that come from?_

Bella nodded. "I know. Thanks, I really appreciate it." He smiled. "Anytime."

He watched as she climbed into the driver's seat, put the car in gear, and pulled away. For the first time since they started working together, he realized he was sad to see her leave. _I think I need to talk to Emmett._


	4. Brotherly Advice

**A/N: We get a little more background info here. I promise it will start moving a little faster soon. But, I want to get the vital info needed for the story line.**

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Edward pulled into his parking spot outside his apartment and turned off the engine of his 1967 Camero. As he walked inside, he pulled out his cell and started scrolling through his contacts until he found the name he was wanting and pressed the talk button.

"_Hello?"_ Emmett's voice was groggy on the other end.

"Hey man. It's me. I need to talk."

"_What's wrong? Is Bella okay?"_

"Yeah, dude. She's fine. She is probably sleeping right about now. But, I do need to talk about her. Can I come over?"

"_Sure, Edward. No problem. Rose just got up with Charlie and was about to make breakfast anyway."_

"Cool, I'll be there in 10." Edward hung up the phone and went to change quickly.

Ten minutes later, just as he promised, he was pulling up into Emmett and Rose's driveway. It was definitely an advantage having all of their homes so close together. He walked up to the door and entered without knocking, something they had all done since they were in preschool.

He walked into the kitchen to find the small family sitting around the table. An empty plate was sitting in front of the last chair.

"Hey, Edward," Rose greeted him with a huge and warm smile, "come and join us. I know you're probably hungry after getting off that graveyard shift." She started putting food on his plate as he made his rounds.

"Thanks, and I am actually." He returned her smile and clapped Emmett on the shoulder. "Hey bro. How are ya doing?"

"Uh, not too bad. I'm sure Bells is worse though. This is always a hard day for her."

Edward made one final stop around the table before heading to his seat. He reached out and tickled little Charlie, who was named after his granddaddy, under the chin. "Hey, Lil' Man. How ya doing?"

Charlie giggled in response, pounding his little fist on the high chair, making eggs go flying. Edward laughed at Emmett's little doppelganger. With his brown curls and eyes, he looked like a miniature clone of his father.

Charlie was their miracle baby. Rose suffered multiple miscarriages before she finally carried to term. It required almost permanent bed rest, but it was worth it in the end.

He sat down in his chair and started eating the food that Rose had placed on his plate. "Rose, seriously, when are you gonna leave this guy and come with me?" It was the same thing he asked every time he ate some of Rose's cooking. It was almost as good as Bella's.

Rose laughed as Emmett slugged Edward in the arm. "Dude, you know she's been mine since we were in diapers." _He has a point_, Edward thought as he laughed again.

Emmett, Edward, and their other friend Jasper all started preschool together. Two years later, Rose, Bella, and the sixth member of their group, Alice, started preschool as well. Naturally, when they hit high school, everyone started to pair off. Well, almost everyone. Emmett began dating Rose when he was a junior and she was a freshman and then married her right after her graduation. Jasper began dating Alice at that same time and a year after Emmett's wedding took place, they too married.

Everyone expected Edward and Bella to do the same. However, it never came to pass. Neither of them had the guts to approach the subject when the others did. Then, something happened during Bella's sophomore year that she never wanted to talk about and decided she only wanted to stay friends with Edward, even with Rose and Alice insisting she give him a chance. Edward, on the other hand, agreed with Bella. He pushed his feelings aside out of respect for her wishes. They were best friends, and he had no problem with that. But now, he wanted more.

They carried on an easy conversation throughout breakfast, catching up on how everyone was doing. Jasper, who had been Edward's original partner, transferred to Jacksonville when Alice was offered a head nurse position at a major hospital there. Rose, also a nurse, and Bella hated to see her leave but wouldn't deny her such a great opportunity. They stayed in touch and would visit when time allotted. According to Rose, who was now cleaning Charlie's eggs off the floor, Alice just found out she was expecting hers and Jasper's first child.

When Rose was finished, she carried Charlie upstairs to clean him up, leaving the guys alone to talk.

"Okay, dude. Why do you need to talk to me about my little sis?" Emmett was giving Edward a smirk, hinting that he knew what this was about.

Edward blushed slightly. "Well, the thing is, I think something might be happening."

"It's about time!" Emmett's voiced boomed as he laughed heartily at Edward's confession.

"You mean you aren't gonna beat me to a pulp for thinking about Bella in a way other than platonic?" He was confused at Em's reaction. He thought for sure that there would be an objection about this. After all, she was his baby sister.

"Dude, ya'll were meant to be together. It's like fate or some shit. Look at the rest of us. Besides, she ain't a kid anymore."

Edward nodded, agreeing that Emmett did have a point. "She doesn't feel the same though, man. That's the problem."

Emmett shook his head. "Sure she does. She just doesn't realize it yet. I think it might have something to do with whatever happened in high school. Ya know? That thing she wouldn't talk about?"

Edward nodded again. Emmett smirked again. "So, how'd ya figure it out?"

Once again, a blush graced Edward's face. "Well, I've always had pretty strong feelings about her, you know that. But when she said we could only be friends, I tried to forget those feelings. But, now it feels different. I touched her arm to console her while we were talking about James's release and felt electricity shoot through my body. I know it wasn't static cause it didn't hurt. I wanted to shoot the guy at the drive thru when he started undressing her with his eyes. I hated seeing her drive away this morning. It's just insane. We're friends. I'm her partner. What if my feelings mess everything up? I mean, I'm not 15 anymore."

Emmett understood his worry, but he also knew it was misplaced. "Don't worry about it. Everything is going to be fine. Just give her a little time to figure out what she is feeling as well. I know she's always had a crush on you, especially after the first time she saw you in uniform."

Edward laughed. He knew the feeling. He developed quite the crush on Bella when she first walked through the station doors in her own uniform, despite his fighting with his heart. That was an interesting day.

_They were sitting around the station, talking amongst themselves when the captain, Harry Clearwater, walked in. "Okay, guys. We got ourselves a new officer. Be your normal, welcoming selves and say hi to our new comrade."_

_When Bella walked in wearing her uniform, Edward's heart dropped. She looked hot. Even the vest couldn't hide the curves of her body. She was blushing slightly, and her brown eyes were twinkling with excitement. She had definitely grown up over the last few years._

_He could hear some of the guys whispering around him._

"_What's she doing here?"_

"_Is the Cap serious? She's too tiny to kill a fly. How's she gonna take down a perp?"_

"_She can't work here. This is a man's station."_

"_Guys, this is Bella Swan, Emmett's sister. I know we aren't used to females here, but she was at the top of her class, and I personally picked her. So, make her feel welcome. Cullen, I need to see you in my office."_

_Edward pulled his eyes away from Bella after what seemed like an eternity. "Sure thing, Cap."_

_He followed Harry into the office and closed the door behind him. His boss spoke as he was sitting. "Swan is going to be your new partner. I know after Hale got transferred you said you didn't mind working alone. But, we still like to use the buddy system around here just in case. So, since you are the only one not partnered up, you get to be the lucky man."_

"_Not a problem, sir. We all grew up together, and I know her pretty well. Plus, from some of the grumbling out there, I don't think the others would want that job."_

"_I agree. So, get out there and start showing her around."_

_They both walked out of the office. As Edward started to walk over to Bella, the Captain spoke up again. "By the way, one-on-one down in the gym in 20 minutes. Swan, I know you're new, but I've heard some stories. I want to see if they're true. We'll start alphabetically, but we all know Emmett likes to change the rules. Last one standing is treated to lunch each day by the others. See ya'll there." He walked out the door, leaving behind a very excited group of officers._

"_So, looks like it's you and me in the cruiser, Swan." Edward shot her a crooked grin. She shook her head laughing. "Man, Emmett's going to love this. He was worried about who I'd be partnered with, what with me being a woman and all." She looked over at the group of men._

_Some of the other guys were whispering and shooting glances her way, but quickly fell quiet when they noticed she was watching them. "Bells, don't worry about them. Something tells me they'll come around soon, very soon. I've heard the same stories the Captain has. After all, we all did grow up together." He and Emmett had followed her academy days religiously._

"Dude, you still with me?" Emmett was waving a hand in front of Edward's face. He blinked his eyes a couple times before responding. "Yeah, I was just thinking about Bella's first day at the station."

Emmett laughed. "Man, that day was priceless. I've never heard those guys so quiet before."

They both grew quiet thinking back to the end of Bella's first day. The day she _made_ the guys respect her.


	5. Respect

**A/N: This chapter is a continuance of the last one. Thank you to all who have added this story to your favorites. I hope you are enjoying it.**

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**7 Years Ago

When everyone went into the locker rooms to change, Edward took a moment to call Emmett, who was running late, to let him know about the one-on-one. "Hey man. Cap just called a Triple O. You need to get down here fast. Bella started today."

Emmett's booming laugh came through the line. "Dude, I'm on my way." He showed up not 10 minutes later.

After everyone gathered in the gym, Harry called the first two names. "Okay, I want Jacob Black and Ben Cheney in the center." Cheers went up through the gym. Of course, everyone knew this was no competition. Black was the biggest man on the staff.

Five minutes later, the Captain called the next name to join Jacob on the mat. "Cullen, you're next." This match lasted a little bit longer.

"Emmett, I see you back there. Nice of you to finally make it to work. Come on up. Give Jake some competition." Emmett and Jacob were on the mat for about a half hour before Emmett finally took Jake out.

"Emmett, you wanna take on your little sister now? Technically, she is next." Emmett shared a knowing look with the Captain. And, as he was frequently known to do, he flipped the rules a little. "Naw, Cap, let me have Yorkie first."

"Alright, Eric, you heard your partner. Get down there." Eric was done for within two minutes.

"Hey, Cap. Can we do this a little different? Let's let Bells take them on from smallest to biggest. Don't wanna make the big guys look bad right away." The guys all laughed at Emmett's comments. Most of them laughed because they thought Bella was weak. Emmett, Edward, and Harry laughed because they knew the truth.

"Sure, Swan, why not?" He turned to face the crowd.

"Swan, Yorkie. Get down here." Bella and Eric walked down to the mat. They shook hands and got into position. When the Captain blew the whistle, Bella quickly grabbed Eric and flipped him over her shoulder. The whistle blew again signaling the end of that match.

The guys in the bleachers laughed. Someone hollered out, "Sure, Cap. Now how about someone who weighs more than 20 pounds?"

"Cheney, you're up." Once more, Bella headed to the mat and waited for Ben. When the whistle blew, Ben automatically swung out his foot to catch Bella's ankles. She jumped fast, anticipating the attack. He grabbed her from behind. She flung her arms over his head, clasping her hands behind his neck. She bent over while pulling on him at the same time. His back hit the floor, knocking the breath out of him.

The guys were slightly taken aback by this. Ben had faster reflexes than most.

"Cullen, come face your partner." Edward smirked to cover up his fear. He knew that Emmett had taught Bella everything that she knew. In fact, he had snuck in a few things as well that Emmett didn't know about. They wanted her to be prepared for when they couldn't be around to protect her.

When he was standing in front of her, he leaned forward and whispered, "Don't make me look too bad, okay?" She laughed. "Sure."

The whistle blew, telling them to start. They circled for a few minutes, his frame towering over hers. Just as he made a move to grab around her waist, she ducked to the side and swiped his feet out from under him, causing him to land face first on the mat.

Laughter rang out through the rafters. Jacob Black's voice called out to Edward. "Hey man. We know who wears the pants in that partnership." The guys just ate that one up.

"Alright, time for the brother-sister grudge match. Emmett, don't squash her when she makes you fall." Once more, laughter.

Emmett and Bella shook hands, laughing at each other. Sure Emmett had a foot on her and was about twice her weight. However, she learned from the best, and he knew it.

Their match lasted for a while, each countering the other. Emmett, however, wasn't expecting Bella to pull a new move out of her sleeve. Emmett, just like Edward, made to grab her around the waist. Bella quickly back flipped out of the way. Just as she landed, she threw a round house kick and caught him in the shoulder. Taking advantage of his stunned position, she took his arm, twisted, and brought him over her back onto the mat.

Now this stunned the guys. Emmett was the only one who could take down Jacob, their biggest and fastest, and yet Bella was the only one who could take down Emmett. There was no laughter, only the silence of men who knew they had met their match.

"Dude, little sis. Where'd you learn that move?" He was shaking his head, his shoulder slightly throbbing from the impact of her foot.

"I'll never tell," she replied laughing. As he turned to move back toward the bleachers, she threw a wink at Edward. He knew where the move came from.

"Alright, Black. This is it. One of you two are going to get lunch for free for the next week."

Jacob walked up to Bella and, leaning down to whisper in her ear from behind, said, "You're going down. This is a man's job. Ain't no woman going to change that, no matter how lucky she gets."

Bella turned, cut her eyes up at him, smirked, and replied, "You better get your wallet ready. You're buying me steak." Her response was nothing close to a whisper, and the other guys loved it.

Jacob growled just as the Captain started speaking again. "Oh, guys. Just so you know. This match won't be over until someone gives up. I'm just gonna go take a seat. After all, this is a week's worth of free lunch we're talking about."

The others laughed nervously. They knew how competitive Jacob Black was. But, then, they also knew Emmett Swan and had heard about the legendary Charlie Swan and wondered just how deep those still waters ran.

The whistle blew and it was on.

Bella and Jacob circled, just like she had with Edward, sizing each other up. Jacob stood close to 7 feet tall and had to weigh more than Emmett. She knew he would be a challenge, but she had no intentions of failing to put Black in his place.

Swinging his foot out as Ben had, Jacob tried to take out Bella's legs. He anticipated her jump and grabbed her legs with his arms, causing her to hit the mat. She was quick to spring back up and quickly did a back flip to remove herself from his arm reach. However, he was faster and ended up punching her in the arm. _So, he wants to play it this way, huh?_ she thought to herself.

Bella charged Jacob, faking with her left. As he moved to block, she caught him in the gut with a right jab. As he bent over, she round housed and caught him in the side of the head. He fell to his knees on the mat. She quickly grabbed both arms and pulled them behind his back, placing her knee between his shoulder blades. The move caused him to fall face first and effectively knocking the air out of him.

It didn't take him long to recover. He made to bring his legs behind Bella and wrap them around her. She was faster though, and before he had the chance, she placed both his arms in a bear hold with one of hers while using the other to grab his feet. She pulled them up and sat on them and then returned her second arm back to his, pulling on them and causing his body to arch backwards. She had, in a way, hog tied him from behind using her body.

The guys in the bleachers were stunned, including her brother and partner. Harry Clearwater, however, had heard of her doing this one other time. Her instructors at the academy were all too willing to brag.

Jacob fought for a few minutes, trying to free himself from her grasp. Bella, though she looked little and meek, was much stronger and more solid than anyone expected. Finally, Jacob quit moving realizing that she wasn't going to give.

"Cap?" Jacob's voice bellowed from under Bella. Harry chuckled, knowing what was coming. "Yeah, Black. What is it?"

Jacob's tanned face turned red. His dark brown eyes stared holes into the floor as he spoke his next words. "I surrender."

Bella stood up, rubbing her still throbbing shoulder. She held her head high as she offered Jacob a hand. He accepted, pulling himself off the floor. She smirked at him as he began to rub the side of his head. "Did your parents ever teach you that lesson about not hitting a woman?"

Jacob looked confused. "Yeah." Bella's smirk grew wider. "Guess why they told you that." His confusion became almost comical. "Do I wanna know?"

Bella started laughing. "They knew you would meet me one day. I was the woman they were warning you about." Everyone, including Jacob, began to laugh.

Jacob spoke up then. "Hey, Cap? Can I have Swan as a partner?" Before he could respond, Edward spoke up. "No way, dude. I have dibs." The laughter in the room grew louder.

Bella had gone from the last man out, so to speak, to the dream partner.

Harry stood up. "So, welcome to the team Swan. Enjoy your lunch this week. Oh, by the way, I was hoping I would see that move." It occurred to everyone with that statement that he knew how this would end.

She looked baffled. "How did you know about it?"

"Let's just say that you had some instructors who were proud. I wasn't the only one recruiting you." With pride shining in his own eyes for his new officer, he left the gym.

Emmett's voice boomed across the room. "Way to go, Little Sis. Think you can teach me some moves?"

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**Please review. I'm dying to know what everyone is thinking about my little story here. I have the next few chapters finished already. But, I might just hold on to them for a few days. lol Unless you review, of course.**


	6. The Truth

**A/N: This chapter contains a non-consensual sex scene. I only included it because it is vital to understanding why Bella backed away from Edward the way she did. It will also be setting the scene for later chapters. Oh, and in case some of you were wondering, I always listen to Evanescence when writing this. I was listening to it the first time I read a fanfic and it stuck. Hope you like.**

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**Present

Bella had planned on going to sleep when she got home. Unfortunately, every time she closed her eyes, she would only end up dreaming of Edward, which was something that hadn't happened since she was 16. The only difference was that these dreams were more grown up than anything her 16 year old mind could have produced.

Sophomore year. She shuddered at the thought.

Her sophomore year had started well enough. The guys were seniors, popular, and a part of quite a few wet dreams. You could say the same about the girls as well. On Halloween, Bella found out just how much she was dreamed about in a way no one could imagine.

_Jasper's Halloween party was an annual tradition that their entire school looked forward to. That year was no different._

_Bella, Alice, and Rose spent the entire day preparing for that night. Bella was finally going to make her move on Edward. _

_Each year the girls chose a theme that would determine costumes for all six of them. This was the first year Bella had been outvoted. So, she merely stayed home when the other two girls picked up the costumes._

_Alice and Rose walked into Bella's room dressed as cops. However, their costumes left little to the imagination. The top, adorned with a little badge, tied just below their breasts. The skirt hung low on the hips and ended high on the thigh. They were wearing thigh-high stockings held up with by a garter belt and 3" stiletto heels. The police hat on their head finished the outfit._

_Bella groaned, already regretting the decision to not shop with the girls. "Guys, please tell me that mine does not match yours." Alice giggled. "Silly, Bella. It wouldn't be a theme if you wore something else."_

_Rose laughed. "Just wait until you see the guys." Her blue eyes were twinkling, as were Alice's green ones._

_Bella gave in easily. She knew it would do no good to argue. After getting dressed, Alice did her make-up while Rose pulled her hair into a French twist that matched the one in her own blond hair. Alice's black hair was too short to twist so she left it hanging in curls._

_Once finished, they stood in front of the mirror, admiring what they saw. Bella had to admit, although quietly to herself, she looked good. They all suddenly posed and puckered their lips. This caused a chorus of laughter to ring through the room._

_Alice's twinkling voice filled the air. "Alright girls. Let's go get our men."_

_They arrived at Jasper and Rose's house 15 minutes later. The party was in full swing. It wasn't hard to find the guys. They were wearing black and white striped prison uniforms with a pair of handcuffs dangling from one wrist._

_Bella laughed at the sight. Edward heard her and looked up, his emerald green eyes catching her own chocolate brown ones. She blushed and quickly looked away._

_He walked over to her. "Hey, Bells. Do I have to go quietly?" She laughed. "No, you can be as loud as you want." He smiled a devious, crooked grin at her, causing her to blush once more._

How am I ever going to tell him the truth if I can't even quit blushing?_ He leaned down and whispered in a velvety voice, "You look very sexy in that outfit. It makes me want to be bad so you'll use these cuffs."_

_He laughed as her face turned beet red. "Um, Edward. I, uh, I need…" She was stuttering so hard she couldn't even finish her sentence. She shook her head, losing her courage. "I need something to drink." She walked away quickly, leaving a confused Edward staring at her retreating figure._

_She went into the kitchen where the drinks were. Grabbing a cup, she filled it full, and then drained it just as fast. She did this a couple more times._

_About a half hour later, she was feeling better. Mike Newton, one of her brother's friends, approached her and asked if she wanted to dance. She shook her head no, saying she wanted to sit down instead._

"_Well, would you like to go sit on the porch swing and talk?" Mike's eyes were pleading with her now. Feeling bad, she responded, "Sure, why not?"_

_They walked out on the porch and talked for almost an hour. She was starting to get thirsty again and told him so. "Listen, Mike. I really enjoyed talking to you, but I need to get something to drink. I'll see you later."_

"_But, Bella," Mike started, "I want to continue getting to know you. I really like you." Bella, naturally, blushed in response. "That's sweet, Mike. But, I don't like you like that. I'm already interested in someone."_

_As she stood and turned to walk away, he grabbed her arm. "I said I like you. Let me show you how much." He pulled her to him and kissed her hard. She pulled away and slapped him. "Mike, stop!" He quickly clamped his hand on her mouth to silence her. Wrapping his other arm around her waist, he lifted her and dragged her to his SUV._

_He tossed her in the back and climbed in behind her. She pulled on the other door handle but it wouldn't open. "Child locks. Can't have my little sister opening the door on the highway. Now, I'm gonna show you what I promised."_

_As he went to touch her face, she turned and bit him, enraging him more. He backhanded her, causing her vision to blur. Taking advantage of her stunned state of mind, he pushed her down onto the seat. He reached under her skirt and tore her panties off. He then pulled his already hard cock out of his pants. "See how much I like you." Then, before she could register the movement, he shoved himself inside her, breaking through her barrier in a single thrust. She cried out in pain, her vision blurred from the tears, screaming for him to stop. He stopped, but only after he thrust a few more times and came inside her. "Now, little bitch. Get out of my truck. If you tell anyone about this, I'll kill you."_

_He opened the door and pushed her out. Instead of going to find someone to help, she ran home, crying the entire way. That was the last time any guy touched her in any intimate way._

She shuddered at the memory. She never did tell anyone. She also refused to tell Edward exactly how she felt. When her friends pushed for her to confess to Edward, she just backed away even more, claiming that she only wanted friendship.

Of course, that was a lie. She had always dreamed that her life would be like that of her friends. Edward would be her first and only love. They would get married and start a family.

Instead, she just pushed the feelings to the back and tried to forget they existed. That was why these dreams of Edward were so confusing. Why would they suddenly return after 12 years?

Finally giving up on sleep, she pulled on a long sleeve t-shirt and warm-up pants with her tennis shoes and decided to go for a run. She grabbed her IPod, putting the earbuds in, and tucked her house key into her sock. As an afterthought, she grabbed and put on her sunglasses. Even in the dead of winter, the bright blue Georgia sky could still blind someone. Locking the front door behind her, she took off down the block. As she passed Emmett's house, she noticed Edward's car.

Although she could use a little advice from Rose or Emmett right now, she kept on moving. Each time her feet pounded against the road, her head cleared a little more. Soon, the only thing in her mind was the sound of the music.

An hour later, she was back in front of Emmett's house. Edward's car was gone, thankfully. She walked up his drive and in the front door. "Hey, big bro. Where ya at?"

A voice rang out from the back of the house. "In the gym. Come on back." She walked back, feeling the need to talk.

He was sitting on his weight bench, dumbbells in each hand. "What's up, Belly? Shouldn't you be sleeping right now?" He continued to do his curls as he looked at her expectantly.

"Well, I have a problem that is keeping me from doing just that." Her face began to warm so she knew she was already blushing. Emmett shot her a knowing smirk. "Emmy, don't make fun of me."

"Bells, I already know what it's about. Do you want me to tell you and save you the trouble?"

Her jaw dropped, shocked. What? Was he a mind reader now? She quickly regained her composure. "Okay, what do you _think_ is the issue?"

His smirk grew into a full blown grin as he set the weights down. He patted the bench beside him and she sat down. He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees, and looked at her."You, little sis, have the hots for your partner, _again_. Or, should I say still? You need to know why you're feeling that way. However, you have to tell me why you "quit" feeling that way in the first place if you want my help."

She looked down, trying to find a way to tell him the truth. "You're right. I am starting to have feelings for him again. They never left, actually. But, I can't tell what happened. I just can't."

He put his arm around her shoulder, his face and tone turning serious. "Bella, what did I tell you about holding stuff in? It's going to hurt you one day. If you can't tell me, at least talk to Rose. Ya'll have always been close."

Bella squirmed a little, knowing this day would eventually come. "Fine, I'll talk to Rose. Where is she?"

His smirk returned. "Lover boy took her and Charlie to the store. They should be back any time now."

Bella slugged his arm. "Ha, ha. Very funny. I need to do something. Why don't we work the bag until they get here? Unless you'd rather I kept hitting you."

They stood and walked over to the bag. Emmett stabilized it for Bella as she performed a series of punches and kicks. They were so into the workout they didn't realize they had an audience until Charlie yelled out, "Dadadada!"

Emmett's face broke into a wide smile. He ran over, took him from Rose, and spun him around. "There's daddy's little man. Were you good for Mama?"

Rose kissed Emmett's cheek. "No, he kept pulling things off the shelves. I had to get Edward to hold him just so I could finish shopping." Everyone laughed.

Edward was staring intently at her, a small smile playing on his lips. _Man, she's hot when she works out._

Bella noticed his stare and blushed furiously. "Um, Rose. I need to talk to you." She was out the door before anyone could say anything.

Edward looked confused, as did Rose, while Emmett wore a knowing smile. "Rose, hun, Bells really needs a girl moment. Eddie, dude, don't even ask. Not my story." The guys walked into the kitchen to find food as Rose went to find Bella.

She was sitting on Rose's bed, cheeks pink from her embarrassment. Rose shut the door, walked over, and put her arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug. "Oh, Rose. What am I gonna do?"

Rose pulled away from Bella so she could look into her eyes. "Well, Sweetie, the first thing you need to do is open up. Just tell me everything." Bella shook her head. "I'm so stupid."

Bella slid back to the middle of the bed and pulled her legs up, setting her chin on her knees. "Things could have been so different if I'd told someone sooner. I should have told someone that night. I guess I should let you know why I'm here anyway. I had to talk to Em. I've started having those dreams about Edward again. You know, the ones I had in high school. Only, they're a lot more detailed now." Her face flushed red.

Rose smiled warmly. "Oh yeah, I think we all had dreams like those. I still do. Of course, mine are about Emmy."

Bella laughed. "I would hope so. The thing is, I haven't had them since that Halloween party our sophomore year."

Rose reached over and took her hand. "What happened? You were so excited that night about telling Edward the truth. Then, the next day, it's like you did a 180. You just didn't love him anymore."

Bella's eyes began tearing up. "Rose, I never stopped loving him. I just pushed those thoughts away. He wouldn't want me after what happened. No one would."

Rose's blue eyes looked deep into Bella's tear filled ones. "I have a feeling I know what happened. I've been there. But, you need to say it."

The tears spilled over as Bella began her story. "I got nervous just as I was asking Edward to go for a walk with me. So, I ran and got a drink instead. A few drinks actually. I was starting to feel better and then Mike Newton walked over and asked me to dance. I told him no, so he talked me into going on the porch to talk instead. We talked for a while and then I got thirsty again. I went to leave and he grabbed me. He said he liked me and wanted to get to know me better. When I tried to walk away again, he carried me to his truck and threw me in. I bit him when he tried to touch me, but it wasn't enough. He hit me and then raped me. He told me if I said anything, he would kill me. He was so mad. The look on his face made me believe him. So, when he let me out, I just took off running home. After that, I knew I was damaged goods. No one would want me again."

She was sobbing when she finished. Rose pulled her into a tight embrace and then said the words Bella was dreading. "Bells, we have to tell Em." Bella jerked away. "No, we can't! He'll blame himself. You know he will."

"Bella, give him more credit. He'll be fine about this. We both know it, although, we might have to keep him from killing Newton." She spat out his name like it left a bad taste in her mouth.

"No. I don't want him to know." Rose stood, her face taking on a defiant expression. "Then at least tell Edward. The boy was crazy in love with you then, and probably still is. He deserves to know the truth."

Her brown haired friend jumped to her feet. "I said no!" Bella's scream brought the guys running. Emmett took in her red eyes and Rose's now determined expression. They were facing each other like they were about to physically fight. "What's going on?"

Bella stood up from the bed, looking from Emmett to Edward and then to Rose. "I'm leaving. I'll see ya'll later." With that, she went running out of the house toward her own place.

Emmett and Edward walked over to sit on the bed, each grabbing one of Rose's arms and pulling her with them. Rose noticed someone was missing. "Hun, where's Charlie?" Emmett shook his head. "Don't try to change the subject. He's sleeping. Now, what's going on with Bella?"

Rose looked between the two men who were wearing matching confused, yet worried, expressions. Even though she knew it was Bella's story to tell, she also knew that if she left it up to Bella, they would never know. "Guys, if I tell you this, you have to swear on your badges that you will not do anything rash." They both nodded, not wanting to speak and interrupt her. "Do you remember that Halloween party Jasper threw your senior year? We had the cop-prisoner thing going on?"

Edward's eyes twinkled at the memory. "Oh yeah. Bella looked hot that night." Rose smiled sadly and nodded. "Well, you weren't the only one who noticed."

Both guys caught on quick. Edward's face turned red with rage while Emmett's body began shaking. They spoke the same word, "Who?" Rose quickly relayed Bella's story.

Emmett stood up and shouted, "I'll kill him! I'll kill that fucker for touching her!" Rose jumped up and took his face in her hands. "Babe, remember you promised not to do anything rash. This was why she didn't want to tell you." After a few more minutes of talking, she finally got him to sit back down with Edward.

Edward was deep in thought and when he finally spoke, it was so quiet they almost had to strain to hear him. "What was it she wanted to tell me? You said she was going to talk to me about something that night?"

Instead of Rose, it was Emmett who spoke up this time. "She was going to tell you she was in love with you." Edward looked shocked at this revelation. "Everyone could see it. Everyone but you that is." Rose just nodded her agreement.

Edward stood suddenly and walked out. Rose looked at her husband and then jerked her head in Edward's direction, silently telling him to follow.

Edward was sitting on the hood of his car when Emmett caught up to him. "Alright, dude. Spill. What's going on in your head?"

Edward shook his head as Emmett climbed up to sit next to him. "I've been in love with her forever, man. I've fought hard to forget because she just wanted to be friends. Now, I find out the truth. It just breaks my heart to know that I had that chance and let it slip away. I should have followed her to the kitchen when she walked away. I shouldn't have left her alone. I could have protected her."

Emmett patted his shoulder, trying to console him. "It's not your fault. Never in a million years would I have thought that our _friend_ would be capable of that. Maybe you should talk to her. Tell her how you feel. Clear the air between both of you." For someone known as a chronic goofball, Emmett was nothing if not a deep thinker. He stood up to leave Edward to his thoughts. "Oh, by the way, she does still care for you. Maybe even more." With that, he walked inside.


	7. Broken

**A/N: In the last chapter, Edward finds out about Bella's dark past. What will he do now?**

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**Edward walked the neighborhood for about an hour before finally taking Emmett's advice. He stood at her door for a good 10 minutes before gathering the courage to knock. While he was waiting for her to answer, he put in hands in his pockets and rocked on his heels.

Bella opened the door, and he found himself gasping for air. Even in faded blue jeans, a dark blue sweater, and bare feet, the sight of her took his breath away. Her eyes were still rimmed in red. Her face was puffy from the crying she had done. She spoke first. "What do you want Edward?"

He didn't say anything right away. He reached out and took her face in his hands. Then he said the last thing she expected to hear. "I'm so sorry." She looked into his beautiful green eyes and saw they were full of grief and remorse.

She pulled one hand down from her face, only to use it to drag him into her living room. She pushed him to the couch while she pulled up a chair to sit in front of him. He refused to look at her, finding his feet to be very interesting.

Using her finger, she lifted his chin. "Look at me, Cullen. What are you sorry for? You haven't done anything." He finally met her eyes, to see them shining with unshed tears. Behind that, he could see that she was concerned for him.

"That's just it," he finally said. His voice was thick with his own unshed tears. "I didn't do anything to protect you. I shouldn't have left you alone. I should have followed you."

Understanding finally clicked. Rose told them the story. While she knew she should be mad that Rose betrayed her, she actually felt relieved. Bella joined Edward on the couch and wrapped her arms around him, holding him while he finally let the tears flow. After a few minutes, he pulled back. "Bells, can you ever forgive me?"

She looked at him, her expression serious. "No, I can't." His face, once hopeful, dropped at her answer. She placed her hands on either side of his head and made him look at her again. "I can't forgive you because there is nothing to forgive. _He_ did that to me. Not you. I won't let you take the blame for what he did."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling the slight sent of her strawberry shampoo. "I just can't help but think that things could have been different if I had just told you the truth instead of picking at you like I did."

Bella pulled away suddenly, taken slightly aback. "What do you mean, told me the truth?"

He reached out and took her face like he had when she opened the door. "Em told me to be honest, so that's what I'm going to do." He looked into her eyes, green meeting brown. "Bells, I'm in love with you. I have been since I was 15. When you told me you just wanted to be friends, my heart broke. I fought for the last half of my life to keep those feelings at bay. I just…I can't do it anymore. I should have told you that night. Then, maybe we'd be together now. But, I'd rather have you as a friend than nothing at all."

"Oh, Edward." Bella began to cry the tears that came to the surface the minute he said he loved her. "You don't know how long I've wanted to hear that. I thought my feelings were one-sided. But, we can only be friends. I'm not good enough for you. I'm not good enough for anyone anymore."

She stood and tried to walk away, but Edward quickly grabbed her hand. "Bells, what are you talking about? If anything, you're too good for me." She shook free of his grip. "No, I'm damaged goods. I'm broken. Just, please leave." She ran to her room and slammed the door. Edward shook his head, confused and angered. He couldn't understand why Bella would see herself that way, and he was pissed that Mike Newton came between them.

Once again needing to talk, he went back to Emmett's.

When he got there, Rose and Emmett were rocking with a tightly bundled Charlie on the porch swing. One look at his face, and they were both on their feet.

Rose took Charlie from Emmett and grabbed his diaper bag. "If Bella's feeling anything close to the way he is, she needs me. I'll be back later." She gave him a soft kiss and walked the short distance to Bella's house.

"Have a seat, bro. I'll be right back." Emmett went inside while Edward sat. He came back a minute later with two beers. "Alright, it seems we are having a "girlie" moment. Tell me your feelings." The tone of his voice and the look on his face made Edward crack. He laughed hard for a couple minutes before sobering.

He looked down at the drink in his hand, his expression somber. "I told her the truth, man. And, she turned me down. Said she was damaged goods and told me to leave." He took a long swig from the bottle. "I just don't know what to do. How can I make her see differently?"

Emmett shook his head while drinking from his own bottle. "You? You can't. Why? Because you ain't a woman. You'll have to let Rose take care of that. She knows personally what Bells is going through." Edward's head popped up. "What?"

Emmett nodded. "When she was taking her courses at the college for her nursing degree. She was mugged and raped one night. She, unlike Bell though, told me right away. I took her to the hospital and they did the exam. Unfortunately, they haven't caught the guy yet. The good thing, and of course bad thing, is that he has plenty of samples in the system. Turns out he had done it plenty of other times to other girls. When he finally gets caught, he'll be in jail until he's at least 70. He just better pray it's not me that catches him."

"So, how will this work now? Think she'll let me continue being her partner?" Edward's voice showed the worry that his face didn't. Emmett nodded. "She loves working with you. That isn't going to change just because you told her something she _did_ want to hear."

"Good. I don't know if I could trust the other guys to protect her like you or I would. They don't love her enough. I really hope she comes around, though. At least now I know why none of my other relationships worked. I need _her_ in my life." Edward's voice was thick with emotion. He lifted his bottle to his lips to take another swig.

Seeing the need to lighten the moment, Emmett cracked one of his goofy grins. "So, should we plot some revenge against Newton?" He rubbed his hands together, waggled his eyebrows, and cackled an evil laugh causing Edward to spit out the beer he had just drank.

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Rose didn't even bother to knock on Bella's door. She just opened it and walked in. "Bella babe. Where are you?"

Bella opened her door and walked into the living room where Rose was holding a squirming Charlie. "I'm right here. Let me get the port-a-crib for you." She walked down the hall to her grandmother's old room and grabbed the crib for Rose. She set it up in the living room by the fire place and sat down while waiting on Rose to put Charlie in it.

"So, why are you here Rose? Did Em send you?" Rose looked over to see that Bella's face was still blotchy from her crying. She walked to the couch and sat down close to Bella so that she could give her a hug.

"No, he didn't. I saw the shape Edward was in and figured you'd be just as bad. What happened?"

"Rose, he told me how he felt, so I told him how I felt. I'm damaged and broken. I'll never be good enough for him again." Bella's voice cracked as the tears began to flow again.

"Bells, remember, I've been there. If anything, this has just made you a stronger woman. You are not damaged goods. You are still just as innocent as you were before that happened. That little piece of skin means nothing to that wonderful man sitting on my porch, nursing a very shattered heart. Just like what I went through didn't change how I was to your brother. If anyone is damaged, it's the prick that made you feel this way."

"But, Rose. He stole my soul when he did that. Sex is supposed to be about love. Newton changed that for me. I don't know if I can love now. Besides, what man is going to want a sexless relationship? I don't know if I'd ever be able to let Edward touch me any lower than my face. I mean. Sparring and one-on-one is different. I can handle that because there are no emotions involved."

Rose interrupted her before she could continue. "I don't want to hear any more excuses. You are an amazing woman. You deserve to be happy. You deserve love. You deserve Edward. And, by damn it, I'm going to make sure that happens. Do you understand me?"

The determination in Rose's voice and on her face gave Bella's spirit a slight renewal. "I understand. I just…I don't know if I can handle anything deeper than friendship. It's gonna take some time."

"Honey, it's okay." Rose smiled deviously. "But, I know what we need. Something we haven't had in a long time."

Bella laughed. "Rose, I'm not having a threesome with you." Rose slapped her arm, laughing at the joke. "No, crazy. We need a girls' night. Just you and me. I'll let Em know that we are gonna go to Spencer's tonight." Spencer's was the town's little club. "It will give us a chance to dress up."

"Sure, why not?" Bella's brown eyes began to shine bright with excitement. "You're right. We haven't had us time in a while." Rose nodded.

Rose smiled at her change of attitude. "That's my girl. Let me just make a couple calls."

**A/N: So, it appears that Edward had his own little secret. Next chapter will be up in a couple of days. Until then, please review and tell me what you think. I've seen the traffic log and know that I'm getting hits on this. I just want to know how I'm doing. This is my first story after all. Thanks guys.**


	8. The Kiss

**A/N: We're gonna start moving forward some, but not too much. I've included a song in this chapter by Alicia Keys called Like You'll Never See Me Again. You'll see the song again in a future chapter (yes, I have a couple others finished) and Bella will explain why at that point. I hope you're enjoying the story so far. So, here goes The Kiss.**

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**Spencer's was packed. Of course, this was the norm on Friday nights. Bella and Rose were already at a corner booth waiting on their drinks. They had met up at Bella's house to get ready early since the guys were on baby duty. Emmett decided to invite Edward and Jacob over to play cards while Charlie slept.

Rose, as always, looked fabulous in a strapless black dress that ended mid-thigh and hugged every curve of her body. She was wearing 4" heels that added to her already tall frame. Her long blond hair was pulled into a loose knot on top of her head.

After she had gotten ready, she forced Bella into submission. This meant that Bella was to play Barbie and she was the Barbie. Rose had pulled the top half of Bella's long curly brown hair into a loose bun and left the rest hanging in loose curls. She kept her make-up light, knowing Bella was uncomfortable when she didn't look natural. When she was finished, she gave Bella a dark blue silk dress that was very similar to her own. It was strapless and ended at mid-thigh. However, instead of hugging her tightly the entire way down, it was only snug around the breast area and then flowed the rest of the way. She was wearing 3" strappy stilettos in the same shade of blue. They both wore ankle length dress coats which they had draped over the back of their booth due to the heat in the building.

The waitress set their drinks down. As Rose went to hand her the money, she shook her head. "Already taken care of." She pointed toward the end of the bar. The girls looked in that direction.

They would have known those three men anywhere. Rose looked at Bella. "I swear, if he has Charlie in this place, I'm gonna borrow your gun." Bella laughed. "Hun, if he has Charlie here, I'll do it for ya."

They stood and walked over to where Emmett, Edward, and Jacob were standing. Both shot dirty looks while placing their hands on their hips. The guys just stared. "Damn, Bells, is that you?" Jacob didn't know what to think. He had only ever seen her in jeans when she was off duty.

Emmett slapped him in the back of the head. "Dude, you got a girlfriend. Besides, that's my baby sister. Quit staring." Jacob shook his head. "No way, man. I know Bella. This can't be her. Rose, did you drug her?"

Rose shot him another dirty look. "No, I believe we said we were having a girls' night out. This is how we dress for them. Of course, we didn't expect to have company. Where's Charlie?" She glanced at Edward at that time and noticed he was still transfixed on Bella. "Edward, snap out of it. It's called a dress." The blush that crept up his face caused everyone to laugh.

"Rosie, Charlie is at your mom's. We didn't mean to intrude on your night. Go have fun. Cards got boring when Jake ran out of money. We're just having a few drinks and thought we'd take care of yours." She gave Emmett a kiss on the cheek, and then grabbed Bella's hand. She whispered to her, "Come on. They want to watch, let's give them a show." Bella laughed, knowing what was coming next.

They walked on the dance floor, still feeling the guys' eyes on them. A fast beat bounced off the walls as Bella and Rose began grinding into each other. They placed their hands on each other's hips, moving with the beat.

Rose spun Bella around, pulling her flush to her body. Bella dropped down and slowly slid back up Rose's body, running her hands on her legs as she moved. They continued to grind and bump against each other. A crowd had begun to form around them. They looked over at the guys, whose jaws were slack, and noticed they all seemed to be restraining themselves. None of them had ever seen the girls dance before because they had never intruded on one of their nights out before. And if they thought this was bad, they should be glad Alice wasn't here.

Rose felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked behind her to see Leah Clearwater, an old school friend and Harry's daughter, had joined them. She also happened to be the one woman to make Jacob, her boyfriend, weak at the knees. They continued to dance until the last beats of the music faded. The crowd cheered. Bella blushed while the other two looked proud.

Their admirers finally walked over from the bar. Emmett pulled Rose away, practically tossing her over his shoulder. Jacob asked Leah to join him in a dance, leaving Bella and Edward to stare at each other.

Another tune began to fill the air.

If I had no more time  
No more time left to be here  
Would you cherish what we had?  
Was it everything that you were looking for?

She looked up, her chocolate brown eyes meeting his own emerald green ones. Hers were full of hesitation, his full of hope.

If I couldn't feel your touch  
And no longer were you with me  
I'd be wishing you were here  
To be everything that I'd be looking for

He took a step closer to her, waiting for some sign. She didn't move, just continued to stare into his eyes. It was as if they were the only two there.

I don't wanna forget the present is a gift  
And I don't wanna take for granted the time you may have here with me  
'Cause Lord only knows another day is not really guaranteed

He moved closer still and placed a hand on her face. As she closed her eyes and leaned into it, he leaned down. His lips brushing her ear, he whispered, "Dance with me."

She lifted her hands to his chest as his rested on her hips. Slowly they began to sway to the music.

So every time you hold me  
Hold me like this is the last time  
Every time you kiss me  
Kiss me like you'll never see me again  
Every time you touch me  
Touch me like this is the last time  
Promise that you'll love me  
Love me like you'll never see me again

Oh Oh Ohhhhh

Edward wrapped his arms around Bella and pulled her close, relishing in the feel of her in his embrace. _Will I ever be able to tell her how much this moment means to me?_

How many really know what love is?  
Millions never will  
Do you know until you lose it  
That it's everything that we are looking for

He lowered his head, burying his nose in her hair. He inhaled the scent of her shampoo, sighing softly to himself.

When I wake up in the morning  
You're beside me  
I'm so thankful that I found  
Everything that I been looking for

She laid her head on his chest, listening to the sound of his heart. His muscles were hard yet soft at the same time. He rested his chin on her head, enjoying the way she fit perfectly against him. _Will I ever be able to tell him that I think of him every time I hear this song?_

I don't wanna forget the present is a gift  
And I don't wanna take for granted the time you may have here with me  
'Cause Lord only knows another day is not really guaranteed

His grip tightened on her, knowing that the song would be ending soon. All too soon.

So everytime you hold me  
Hold me like this is the last time  
Every time you kiss me  
Kiss me like you'll never see me again  
(can you do that for me baby)  
Every time you touch me  
(see we don't really know)  
Touch me like this is the last time  
(see everyday we never know)  
Promise that you'll love me  
(I want you to promise me)  
Love me like you'll never see me again  
(like you'll never see me again)

Ohhh ohhh ohhh ohhh ohhh

Much to both of their despair, the last strains of the music faded into the air. They pulled back slightly, gazing once more in each other's eyes. Not thinking, not speaking, and following only his heart, Edward lowered his head and captured her lips in the most sensual, yet gentle, kiss she had ever experienced.

Just as she began to soften her lips and give in, something clicked. She couldn't do this. Following Edward's lead, and not thinking, she pulled away quickly. Her fist made contact with his jaw before either of them knew what happened.

She turned, shocked, and ran towards the bathroom, leaving Edward to call after her.

Hearing him yell, the others came hurrying in his direction. Emmett was the first to speak. "What happened? Last I seen, you two were having a good time."

He shook his head, rubbing his jaw with his hand. "I don't know what happened. We were dancing. The song ended, and I just kissed her. I didn't mean for it to happen. It just did. Man, please don't hit me. Bella already did."

Rose and Leah gasped. "Where is she?" He pointed in the direction she ran, and the women disappeared. Emmett, surprisingly, did not overreact. Instead, he and Jake led Edward to the bar. "Come on, man. Let's get you a drink and some ice." He shot Edward a smirk. "I told you to give her time. See what happens when you don't listen?"

In the bathroom, the girls found a completely different scene. Bella was bent over a toilet, vomiting. "Oh, Bells. What happened?"

Bella collapsed against the wall of the stall. "I don't know," she sobbed. "I was enjoying being in his arms. Then, he kissed me. It was so sweet and gentle. But, my mind reacted before my heart could. I think that's why I was never able to make it past a first kiss with any man. I always ended up trying to break their jaw. Of course, it only happened one time. Laurent's jaw was wired shut for weeks. Word travels quickly in this town. Is he okay?"

Leah nodded. "Yeah, I think the guys are getting him some ice now. He is a little confused though. So am I, actually. Don't you want to be with him?"

"I do. And, I really do love him. I just don't want him wasting his time on an emotionless, broken…well, me."

The girls hugged her as she began to sob again.

Rose spoke softly, her voice almost a whisper. "Bells, he's never going to give up. He only wants you. And, you aren't emotionless or broken. You just need to open yourself back up. You've been shut down for 12 years. It's time to take a chance on love."

They stayed that way for a few more minutes while Bella collected herself. "Come on, sweetie. Let's get you home." As Leah helped Bella up, Rose sent a text to Emmett letting him know that they were going to go home. He sent one back saying they had already left to take Edward to his place.

She turned toward the other two. "Let's hurry. The coast is clear." They made their way back through the club, grabbed their coats, and went out to the waiting cab.

A few minutes later, Bella was home and changing into her pajamas. She climbed into bed, wrapping her comforter tightly around her. She then proceeded to cry herself to sleep, mourning what might have been her last chance at love.


	9. Taking Chances

**A/N: In this chapter, ya'll will finally find out why the Alicia Keys' song is so special to Bella. Enjoy.**

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* * *

**The next morning, or rather afternoon, Bella woke up a little later than she normally would have. She went in and started her shower. Climbing in, she washed her hair and body and then just stood and let the water run over her until it turned cold.

She got out and dried off, wrapping the towel around her hair. After getting dressed, she made her way into the kitchen. While eating her breakfast, she read the newspaper, an article catching her eye.

**SERIAL RAPIST STRIKES; COMMUNITY IN SHOCK**

_Great_, she thought. _As if the world wasn't crappy enough, now we have this in our own backyard_.

Glancing at the clock, she quickly made her way back to the bathroom. After fixing her hair into the standard bun, she pulled her sidearm out of the gun locker and left.

* * *

The news from the chief was depressing. They had plenty of DNA, he had been in the system a while, but no physical details of the rapist. After he finished the briefing, and warning them to keep their eyes open, they all made their way out to their cars.

Emmett and Jacob were shooting Edward sympathetic looks, knowing tonight could end up being very uncomfortable.

Trying to make up for her actions the night before, Bella silently handed Edward the keys to the cruiser as she climbed in the passenger side.

After an uncomfortable, yet predictable, silence for the first hour of their shift, both decided to break it.

"I'm sorry," they said simultaneously. They laughed.

Edward glanced over. "What are you sorry for? I'm the one that hit on you."

Bella looked down, heat rising in her face. "I'm sorry for overreacting. I shouldn't have hit you. The kiss was actually very nice."

He smiled his crooked smile at her. Then, his face went serious again. "Then, why, Bells?"

"I told you why."

"No, you gave me excuses to push me away. But, you should know that it isn't gonna work. You know me well enough to know that I fight for what I want." He gave a little chuckle. "It's just a little challenging when what I want fights back."

She blushed, embarrassed about her actions from the night before. "I really am sorry for that."

"It's okay, love. I understand." They both froze when they realized what he called her. "Sorry, Bella."

She fell silent and only responded with a shake of her head. This was how they spent the rest of their evening. Talking when needed. Silent any other time.

At the end of their shift, they drove back to the station in the same silence. They both climbed out. Bella walked around to the driver's side as Edward went to his own car. They gave each other a friendly wave and pulled out, heading home.

* * *

The next two weeks were much more comfortable. They had gotten over the awkwardness of that night and settled back into their normal behaviors. Those of strictly best friends.

Emmett, Rose, Jake, and Leah watched this go on. They knew those two were avoiding what needed to be discussed – their feelings. The question was, how would they get them to open up.

After much collaboration and scheming, they decided to take this back to the scene of the crime, so to speak. They all made plans to get together at Spencer's on Wednesday of that week. Jake and Emmett had been moved to the morning shift. Bella and Edward had that night off. Wednesday was karaoke night and the perfect moment to hatch their plan.

The girls, including Leah this time, met at Bella's to get ready since the guys would be at Rose's house waiting on her mom to get Charlie. They had explained the situation to the Hales who were more than happy to help with the match making. They had all grown up together, parents also close friends, and wanted nothing more than to see the last two finally admit to their feelings.

Instead of getting dressed up like last time, they decided to keep things simple. All three of them wore jeans and sweaters. Rose insisted that Bella wear her midnight blue, fitted sweater because she knew it was Edward's favorite. After all, that's what tonight was about.

When ready, they called a cab to meet the guys, who had driven their own vehicles, at the club.

Thankfully, being the middle of the week, Spencer's was nowhere near as packed, but it still pulled in a good crowd.

They guys had a corner booth reserved near the stage. It worked well for their plan. The only monkey wrench would be if they couldn't get Bella on stage. She had the voice of an angel but the courage of the cowardly lion when it came to singing in public.

When all six had arrived, they sat there talking and enjoying themselves. Every now and then someone would get up to sing who had just a little too much liquid courage in them causing the group to laugh.

The DJ, who had gone to school with them, shot a thumbs up at Rose, telling her it was time. They couldn't make the plan work without her help. She stood up. "Hey, Bells. Come help me pick out a song."

Bella shrugged. "Okay." She didn't notice the looks being flashed around the table. Edward, however, did.

"Guys, what are ya'll up to?" The others just shot him innocent looks. This told him he wouldn't be getting an answer.

Bella's voice caught everyone's attention. "Rose, no! This isn't fair. You know I can't do this."

"Sure you can, B."

"Not this song. You know what it means."

"Yes, I do. That's why I chose it. Don't argue. Spin it, Lauren." She knew she had been beat.

Suddenly, Edward knew what the looks were about. They set Bella up.

Before he could speak, the start of a very familiar song floated through the club. Bella's voice, though timid, followed.

If I had no more time  
No more time left to be here  
Would you cherish what we had?  
Was it everything that you were looking for?

She spun around, facing the crowd. She scanned the room, trying to find some courage. What she found was the emerald green eyes of the man who haunted her dreams for the last few weeks.

If I couldn't feel your touch  
And no longer were you with me  
I'd be wishing you were here  
To be everything that I'd be looking for

She began to walk down the stairs of the stage toward the corner table, voice slightly stronger. Emmett was beside Rose, both wearing a smirk. Jake had his arm around Leah, holding her close, and watching the scene unfold before them. Edward, however, was stunned. His angel, his dream, his life was walking toward him.

I don't wanna forget the present is a gift  
And I don't wanna take for granted the time you may have here with me  
'Cause Lord only knows another day is not really guaranteed

Finally deciding to take Rose's advice to take a chance, Bella walked up to Edward and placed her hand on his face, looking deep in his eyes. Her voice filled with all the emotions she fought so hard to hide.

So every time you hold me  
Hold me like this is the last time  
Every time you kiss me  
Kiss me like you'll never see me again  
Every time you touch me  
Touch me like this is the last time  
Promise that you'll love me  
Love me like you'll never see me again

Oh Oh Ohhhhh

Edward stood and wrapped his arms around Bella and pulled her close, just as he had the night they danced to this very song.

How many really know what love is?  
Millions never will  
Do you know until you lose it  
That it's everything that we are looking for

When I wake up in the morning  
You're beside me  
I'm so thankful that I found  
Everything that I been looking for

They began to sway to the music while Bella's voice continued to fill the air. Every eye in the place was on the scene unfolding before them. Most of those eyes were filled with tears, including Bella's.

I don't wanna forget the present is a gift  
And I don't wanna take for granted the time you may have here with me  
'Cause Lord only knows another day is not really guaranteed

So everytime you hold me  
Hold me like this is the last time  
Every time you kiss me  
Kiss me like you'll never see me again  
(can you do that for me baby)  
Every time you touch me  
(see we don't really know)  
Touch me like this is the last time  
(see everyday we never know)  
Promise that you'll love me  
(I want you to promise me)  
Love me like you'll never see me again  
(like you'll never see me again)

Ohhh ohhh ohhh ohhh ohhh

As Bella finished the song, Edward slowly lowered his head to hers, touching their foreheads. "Bella, that was beautiful." She smiled and responded, "Thank you. Rose made me do it." They both chuckled. "Let's go somewhere and talk."

Edward took the mic from her and tossed it to Emmett.

Emmett and his goofy self, after tossing Edward his and Bella's coats, decided to draw attention away from the couple as they tried to leave, so he broke into an a capela version of YMCA. The last sounds they heard from the club was laughter.

* * *

Bella climbed into the passenger side of Edward's Camero and watched as he ran around the front of the car. The minute he climbed in, he shut his door and started the car, letting it warm up while he spoke to her. He shot a smirk in her direction. "They planned this, didn't they?"

She chuckled softly. "I'm pretty sure they did. I should have known something was up when Rose wanted help picking a song. She never sings." She flashed him a devious grin. "We should have stayed for Em though. I bet that was hilarious." They both laughed.

He put the car in reverse and pulled out of his parking spot. He looked over at her again. "Where to?" She shrugged. "Anywhere quiet. I guess after the last few weeks we have a lot to talk about." He nodded in agreement.

They rode in silence until they made it to their destination. He put the car in park, leaving it running so they would stay warm. Bella gasped when she realized where they were. "Edward, Pike's Point? I haven't been here since we all came out here when I was 13." His face flushed again. "I know. That was the day I realized I was in love with you. I felt it was only right for us to come here to talk."

Pike's Point was popular with the high schoolers that wanted to have time alone without parents. But, during the day, it was pretty common to see many different parties happening here. They would range from birthday parties to family reunions. It was a reunion that brought Bella here the last time. Bella actually wanted to bring Edward here the night of the fateful Halloween party.

"Edward, why didn't you tell me sooner how you felt?" He shook his head. "Every time I was around you I got nervous so I would crack a joke instead. You wouldn't believe the power you have on me."

She laughed. "Actually, I would. All those times I approached you, like at Jasper's that night, and ran away, it was because I was scared. I didn't want to open up to you and have you laugh at me. But, Rose is right. I can't keep letting fear run my life. I have to take a chance."

Shoving down the fear that rose in her chest, she turned to face him, taking his hands in her own. "Edward, I'm going to tell you something now that I should have told you 12 years ago. I was then, and still am, in love with you. That song I sang to you holds so much truth. Rose knew I related it to us and that was why she chose it. That Friday we danced, I guess it was just fate that played it. Now I'm rambling." She paused, and he waited patiently for her to continue. "In our line of work, we never know when the day will come that we don't make it home. So, from now on, I don't want to take another day for granted. I want us to be together. I'm just scared."

During her confession, Edward stayed absolutely still, only looking at her with hope in his green eyes.

"Love, why are you scared? I promise I will never hurt you."

"I know. It's just, I've had myself shut off for so long, I'm afraid I don't know how to love. I mean, I can say the words. I feel the emotions inside. I'm scared I can't show you."

"Darling, trust me. You know how. You just have let go, and also let me love you in return. Don't push me away."

"I know that too. And, I really do want this."

Now, he looked into her chocolate brown ones and asked the one question that would make or break him. "Bella, are you absolutely sure?"

Her smile was bright enough to light up the night sky. "I've never been more sure about anything in my entire life."

Still holding her hands, he spoke so quietly, she had to lean in to hear him. "Bella, do you trust me?" She nodded. "With my life." He smiled. "Can I try something?" Once more, she nodded.

Then, ever so slowly, he leaned over and captured her lips in a heart melting kiss. He pulled away after a few moments and looked into her eyes. While she still had some hesitation there, he saw another emotion. Something he prayed for every night. Love.

Taking the chance that she might throw another punch, he took his hands from hers, sliding one into her hair while placing the other on her jaw. He dipped his head once more, brushing his lips against hers before deepening the kiss. Her hands moved, causing him to subconsciously flinch, remembering the last time he kissed her. He relaxed when they slid around his neck and into his hair. He took her bottom lip in between his and sucked slightly. When she moaned, he slid his tongue along her bottom lip, requesting entrance. She gladly obliged.

When her tongue touched his, electricity shot through them both. Neither, however, pulled away. This was a moment that only God himself could end. Or, the need to breathe, which came much too soon for either of their liking.

Breathless, they parted slightly, staying close enough to feel the other's breath on their face. The windows were fogged up causing Bella to blush. "I feel like I'm in high school and we just snuck out of our parents' houses to come up here and make out."

He laughed, his velvety voice thick with passion. "I know what you mean. Only, I wouldn't mind being grounded for this."

Bella looked up at him through her lashes, making his pulse race. "What do you say we take this somewhere more comfortable?"

Edward's only response was putting the car in gear and spinning his wheels. Bella laughed. "Okay, Speed Racer. Let's head back to my place."

**A/N: So, what did ya'll think? No, this isn't leading to a lemon. Not yet anyway. :) My updates are going to start slowing down some. I've come to a block in my thinking process and need to step back for a few days. I do have about 2 or 3 more chapters done. But, the last one is hanging on a cliff. So, anyway, review and let me know what you think.**


	10. Living Again

**A/N: This is a shorter chapter. It combines some light-heartedness with some troubling times for Bella.**

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* * *

**Edward held Bella's hand in his the entire drive home, almost as if he were trying to keep himself from waking and realizing that this was only a dream. He pulled into her drive and rushed around the car to help her out.

The minute she stood, she walked into his arms for a tight embrace while pulling his head down to hers for another bone melting kiss. "Come on, handsome. Let's go in where it's warm."

They ran up to her door, laughing at their excitement. Bella unlocked the door and led him to the living room after they both hung their coats by the door. While she sat to take off her shoes, Edward went to the fireplace and started a fire. He grabbed one of her giant beanbag chairs from the corner and put it in front of the fire. Bella stood to join him, bringing a blanket with her. He sat down, took his own shoes off, and pulled her into his lap. Wrapping his arms around her, he sighed blissfully into her hair.

"Is this real? Someone pinch me." Naturally, Bella just had to do it. "Ouch! What was that for?" He rubbed his thigh with a confused look on his face.

Bella grinned. "Well, you told me to pinch you, so I did." He just shook his head and laughed.

"You know, Em is going to see your car in my drive? Think he'll say anything?" Edward shot her his crooked smirk. "Yeah, he'll say what he told me a few weeks ago when I wanted his advice about my feelings." Bella cocked her head to the side. "What was that?" Edward chuckled. "It's about time." They laughed together, knowing that her older brother would definitely be thrilled. So would the rest of their little circle of friends.

Edward stopped laughing suddenly and looked deep into her eyes. Bella gasped as she seen his eyes dark with desire. "Bella, I love you so much. I've waited so long to be able to kiss you like we did tonight. I want to kiss you again."

Bella smiled shyly as she leaned forward to press her lips to his. The kiss started slow and sensual, full of the love they tried so hard to fight for so long. Edward placed his hands on her hips while she laced hers through his hair. She could feel his erection poking into her hip.

This caused her to pull back slightly, worried that he might want more than she could give. "Um, Edward?"

"Yes, love?"

"Um, well, I'm not ready for that yet."

"For what, love?"

She blushed and looked pointedly toward his groin. "Him."

This time it was Edward who blushed. "Sorry, he kinda has a mind of his own." He shifted slightly in an attempt to readjust himself.

She giggled and cuddled back into his chest. She sighed, louder than she thought because it caught Edward's attention. "Are you okay, Bella?"

"Yeah. I'm just happy. For the first time in a long time, I actually feel alive." His arms tightened around her. "Will you stay tonight? I just don't want this evening to end."

He smiled. "Yeah, love. I'll stay. But if your brother shoots me, it's your fault."

"I don't think that'll happen. Besides, he knows I can take care of myself."

Edward smirked and rubbed his jaw. "Yeah, I remember."

They both laughed before settling deeper into the chair to get comfortable. In no time, they were both asleep and dreaming.

* * *

_The car skidded to a stop. Bella and Edward jumped out, guns drawn. "Step away from the woman!"_

_The man turned and took a shot at them. They both ducked behind the car doors._

_Taking advantage of the distraction, the man attempted to jump into a car and pull away. Bella shot out the tires before he could get far. She yelled as he got out. "Drop the gun!" His response was another shot._

_Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Edward fall. "NO!" She shot back at the man. The shot hit him in the shoulder. He fell to the ground._

_She moved to run to Edward's side. Just as she did, the man lifted his gun and shot, hitting her in the chest._

_Edward shot back, catching the man in the head. He moved to Bella's side, dragging his wounded leg behind him. "Bells, baby. Don't leave me."_

"_Edward…" He started to fade in front of her. "Edward…" Soon he was mist. "Edward!"_

"Edward!" Bella jumped up from her position against Edward. He followed immediately. "Bella, hun. What is it?"

She was visibly shaken, her face pale and her eyes wide. "I had a nightmare. We found the rapist. There was a shoot out. He shot you."

"I'm right here, love."

"I know, but there's more." He led her to the couch to sit down. She was trembling too hard to continue to stand. "When I went to go to you, he shot me too. I could actually feel it. It hurt so bad. Then, you started to disappear. I couldn't see you anymore." She began to openly sob. "It was so horrible."

He just wrapped his arms around her, holding her while she cried. Everyone knew she had nightmares while working the night shift, but they never involved anyone but her. From what Rose told him, it had changed recently, and they were coming more often. Maybe it was just because of everything that had happened lately.

"Don't worry, love. Nothing is going to happen. I love you, and I'll always protect you. You know that?"

She nodded. "I know." After collecting herself, she looked at him and smiled. "Are you hungry?"

He smirked, knowing she was just trying to distract herself. "Yeah, I am actually." To emphasize that he was not just humoring her, his stomach growled. They both laughed.

"Come on." She led him into the kitchen where she made them eggs, bacon, and coffee.

He left shortly afterwards to go home and get ready for work, but he promised he would meet her there and they would go in together.

True to his word, he returned just in time for them to leave. They knew they would be facing a possible firing squad when they got to work. Because when you live in a small town, there are no secrets.

* * *

Sure enough, news of their romance hit the station before they did. The moment they walked in, Harry called them into his office. Tension was in the air.

"Alright, kids, I know that ya'll have something going on now. Normally, I would have to partner ya'll up with someone new. Conflict of interest, all that stuff."

When they made to protest, he held up his hands, silencing them. "However, I know that ya'll work better together than any of my other partners. So, I'm gonna trust that ya'll keep your personal life away from work. Got it?"

They nodded.

"Good. Now get. Ya'll got work to do."

When they got back in their car to begin their rounds, Bella driving this time, they both exploded into laughter, the stress of the moment gone.

Bella was gasping as she tried to speak. "Ohmygod! I honestly thought he was gonna hang us or something."

"I know. But, I'm glad he's leaving this one up to us. I don't think I could handle you working with anyone else."

She looked over and smiled. "Me neither. Of course, being the only woman, I would have to worry about you going gay. I've seen the way you look at Jake and Em." She started laughing at the look of shock on his face. "I'm kidding. It was a joke." He growled, causing her to laugh again. "Not funny!"

After that, the night passed quickly. There was still no sign of the rapist. And, the rest of the town seemed to be settled into a peaceful rest. No one anticipated the path that life would soon take them on.

**Don't be mad. I know it isn't moving that fast. But, beware. Soon you will wish I had taken my time. Edward and Bella will soon be facing a fork in the road. A couple chapters from now actually. Muahahahaha! lol Sorry, couldn't help it. Read and review. Thanks.**


	11. Christmas

**A/N: Okay, guys. As promised, here is the love scene. Yes, that's right, the lemon finally dropped from the tree. Now remember, I've never done this before. So, read and enjoy.**

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* * *

**The weeks passed swiftly, and before they knew it, the town was decorated in twinkling lights and red and green ribbons. Christmas was upon them. They had already made arrangements with Jasper and Alice, who would be arriving on the 22nd and staying at his parents' house, so that everyone would be together.

They would have Christmas dinner on the 24th at Bella's house since she had the largest kitchen and dining room. Then, after eating, they would exchange gifts and return to their own places for the couples' gifts.

Bella had bought gifts for everyone but Edward. She was still lost as to what to give him. As she wandered through her living room while waiting on the girls to arrive, she had the best idea. Of course, she would want to talk to Rose and Alice about it first.

Not 10 minutes later, her front door opened. "Beeelllllaaaaa!" She would recognize Alice's voice anywhere.

"Ali!" She ran to meet her at the front door, but stopped short when she saw the short girl. "Oh my! You've gotten so big!"

They all laughed. Alice was now only 4 months, but recently found out she was having twins. Because of her normally small size and the double load she was carrying, she was already about to bust.

"I know. But, we're thrilled. I couldn't ask for a better Christmas gift than that." Her face glowed under her curly mop of black hair.

Rose laughed. "Well, I'm just happy with Charlie. I can't believe that he'll be a year old in a few months."

Bella watched her two best friends, wishing she could have that kind of happiness. That thought led her to making a comment out loud unconsciously. "Why can't I be like ya'll?"

They looked at her. "What do you mean?"

She looked up, not realizing she spoke her thoughts. She looked down as she responded. "I want what you have. You know, marriage to a wonderful man and children. Which reminds me, I need your advice. I have an idea for a gift for Edward."

Alice looked shocked. "You haven't bought his gift yet?" Bella and Rose laughed.

"No. I've been unsure about what to get him. But, the gift I have in mind doesn't need to be bought." She began to blush.

Rose asked, "Bells, what are you talking about?" Her face turned a deeper shade of red.

They understood then. "OOOOhhhhhh."

"Yeah. I'm just not sure what to do."

"Come with us." They went into the living room to sit down. "Alright. What do you need to know, sweetie?" She was horrified that she actually had to talk about it.

"Well, I want it to be really special. You know, fire in the fireplace, wine, music. That kind of thing."

"Aw, Bells. That sounds so romantic." Alice always was hopeless. "We'll come over early on Christmas Eve to help you get ready. You can wear that long, blue, satin dress you always avoid." They laughed, knowing she was telling the truth.

"What? I'm just not into dresses like you two are. But, can you do me a favor?"

"Sure, anything." Bella started laughing. "Don't let Em dress Edward."

A chorus of laughter rang out in the room. Rose always picked out Emmett's clothes because, while he looked good in anything, the boy had no sense of fashion.

They spent the rest of their evening planning Bella's gift to Edward, including giving her advice on what to do, and catching up on the latest news.

* * *

Bella woke up early on Christmas Eve. Her nerves wouldn't let her sleep any later, much to her despair. She got up and pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweater, knowing how messy Christmas dinner could get.

She went into her bathroom to brush her hair and teeth. Glancing at herself in the mirror, she noticed she had a slight glow about her. She began thinking of Edward and the glow seemed to intensify. _So, this is what love is all about_.

She headed to her kitchen to begin the preparations. She pulled out the turkey and the stuffing she made the night before. After setting the oven to the correct temperature, she began to stuff the turkey. When she was finished, she put it in the oven and began making the green bean casserole.

Her day of cooking passed quickly. Soon, she had the potatoes, cranberry sauce, gravy, and rolls done in addition to the casserole. All she was waiting on was the turkey. Her friends had volunteered to help. But, she just enjoyed this part. So, she told them they could bring desserts.

Before she knew it, Rose and Alice were arriving with pies. "Alright girl. Let's get you ready."

They were both gorgeous. Rose was wearing a deep red, floor length gown. It had long sleeves and hugged her entire body. Alice was wearing a green mid-calf dress. It gathered under the bust and flowed around her round belly. It, too, had long sleeves.

When they reached her closet, Bella looked at her dress.

"Guys, why am I the only one not in Christmas colors?" She was slightly confused at this.

"Silly Bella," Alice began, "it's because Edward loves you in blue. Plus, this is the only one you have with long sleeves."

"That makes sense. One of you two did pick out his suit, right?"

They laughed. "Of course," answered Rose. "All the guys will be dressed similar with one difference – the tie. Edward is wearing a gorgeous black suit with a tie the same deep blue that you are wearing. And, if I do say so myself, he looked hot. However, when we get done, he won't hold a candle to you. He's gonna be fighting all night to keep his hands off you."

They both chuckled as Bella's face turned red. Then, she said something completely out of character, causing her blush to deepen more, if that was possible. "Let's hope he doesn't fight too hard."

Both girls liked that response. "Yeah, Bells!"

* * *

Two hours later, just as the guys were arriving, Bella was finally finished. They had kept her make-up as natural as possible. Her hair was hanging around her shoulders and down her back in curls, with only a couple pieces from the front tucked and pinned behind her ears. Her dress caressed her curves in all the right places. She slipped on the same shoes she wore the night she danced with Edward at Spencer's.

"Oh, Bella! Edward is going to fall through the floor when he sees you." Alice, always the one for dramatics.

"She's right, Bells. You look simply stunning." Leave it to Rose to encourage it. "Just look in the mirror."

She stepped in front of her mirror and gasped. _Okay, maybe they're right_.

"Guys, ya'll are the greatest. What would I do without you?" Her eyes began to get misty.

"Oh no you don't, Isabella Marie Swan! No crying!" Alice's tone made both her and Rose laugh.

She pulled them all together for a group hug that was interrupted by a bellowing voice.

"Honey, we're home!" Jasper's and Edward's laughs could be heard following it. Then came a tiny voice that caused Rose to go running. "Mamamama!"

Since Rose had already left, Alice gave Bella her final instructions. "Wait for us to call you. When you hear us, pause for about 3 seconds before coming out. You look gorgeous, hun."

She turned and waddled away, leaving Bella to ponder the evening. _I hope everything goes well. Please, let everything go well._

"Bella!" Alice's and Rose's voices blended together, rousing her from her thoughts.

She counted to three, slowly. Then, walking carefully, stepped into the hallway and made her way to the living room.

Her eyes were glued to her feet, making sure she didn't trip on her dress. At the sound of a breath, she looked up. All eyes were now on her.

Emmett's eyes were beaming with pride. Jasper was smiling at her, his arm protectively around his wife. Finally, her eyes met Edward's.

"Bella, you look, wow, I mean, wow." His stammering caused Bella to smile, all nervousness fading away.

"You don't look too bad yourself."

His dark suit was cut impeccably to fit his body. His black shirt was cut to match, outlining the muscular tone of his chest. The blue tie really was a perfect match to her own dress, obviously picked out by Rose and Alice. His hair, though cut shorter than he used to wear it when they were younger, was still in its normal messy array. But his eyes were what captivated her. They were the color of the most perfect emerald, shining brightly as his smile lit up his face. What most people didn't realize is that up close, you could see the faintest flecks of gold floating in the sea of green.

He stepped over to her and whispered in her ear, "I could just eat you up." He then pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "AAAAAAwwwwwwww!" Leave it to Emmett to kill a romantic moment.

Bella blushed as she walked over to hug the others, still feeling Edward's eyes on her. As payback, she decided to put Emmett to work. "Em, can you grab the bird from the oven?"

He sniffed the air. "Is that what smells so good?" He moved toward the kitchen. "Sure, I'm starving." They laughed as he left the room.

Rose just shook her head. "He's always hungry."

They all joined him in the dining room, where he had already started carving the 30-pound turkey. Bella had set the table with her grandmother's good china, an heirloom that had been in the family for centuries. She was honestly surprised it lasted through them growing up.

Dinner was a comfortable event. They spent most of the evening laughing at little Charlie. He decided his daddy looked better with mashed potatoes in his hair.

When they were finished and had cleaned up, they made their way into the living room to the tree. There was a small pile of gifts under the tree. Most of them were for Charlie, of course. However, they did have a few gifts for each other. They bought gifts as couples, knowing it would be easier that way.

When all gifts were opened, and after many rounds of thank yous, everyone left, leaving Bella and Edward alone.

They pulled out one of the beanbag chairs to sit on in front of the fire. Edward sat down and pulled Bella down into his lap. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he leaned forward to nuzzle her neck. "Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?" She smiled. "Well, I think you tried." He laughed at the memory of his response when she walked out earlier.

"Well, you do. It has taken everything in me to be a gentleman tonight." He leaned back, taking her with him. "I have your gift. Would you like it?"

"You didn't have to get anything for me." He smiled, knowing that would be her response. She has always been selfless.

"But, I wanted to. I love you, Bella. I would give you the world if you wanted it." He turned her so that she was sitting sideways on his lap. Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out a little box.

He looked into her eyes and seen something flash there. "No, love. I'm not proposing." He handed her the box. "Please open this and then let me explain it to you."

She took the gift from him and opened it carefully. Then, she lifted the lid to the box. Inside was the most gorgeous ring she had seen. It was a golden ring. There was a single diamond in the middle of a floral design that was ensconced in an oval shape. "Oh, Edward! It's beautiful. I can't accept this."

"Oh, but you can. Let me tell you why I'm giving this to you." He took it out of the box and placed it on her left ring finger. He then lifted the hand to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on the back. "This ring symbolizes my promise to love you forever. You are it for me, love. You own my heart and my soul. You always have and always will. I'm yours."

With tears in her eyes, Bella leaned forward to kiss him softly. "I love you too. Forever. Where did you find this?" He lifted her hand to his lips once more, then spoke again. "It was my great-grandmother's. My great-grandfather gave it to her when she was 16, and they were together for the rest of their lives, about 80 years for each of them. But, I added something to it. Look at the engraving." She took the ring off to look at the inside.

"_Amor Vincit Omnia_. That's beautiful, but what does it mean?"

He tightened his arms around her once more as she slid the ring back on. "It's Latin. It means love conquers all. I thought it was very fitting with everything we've been through to get to this point."

"It is." Bella, deciding it was time to put her plan into motion, reached behind them to turn on the music she had ready. It was just a collection of some of their favorite classical songs. The room was already dim with just the tree lights and fire lighting the room. She decided to skip the wine because she didn't want to leave her position.

She took his face in her hands, looking into his eyes. "Kiss me." He needed no further invitation. He ran one hand up her neck and into her hair, pulling her face to his. Their lips had barely met when she opened hers to allow him access. Her courage aroused him. She had never been so forward with him before.

He took advantage of the moment to slip his tongue into her mouth. Their tongues danced in sensual movements only lovers could achieve. She sucked slightly on his tongue, causing him to groan in pleasure. His arousal was becoming evident. Bella shifted and rubbed against him, eliciting another moan from him.

"Oh god, Bells. You don't know what you're doing to me."

As she went to turn around, Edward froze and pulled away. "No, Bells. We don't have to do anything you aren't ready for." She placed another soft kiss on his face, this time on his cheeks. "Edward Anthony Cullen. You of all people know I don't do something if I don't want to. I want to do this. I've already let 12 years pass me by. I'm not wasting another minute, and I won't take no for an answer. Merry Christmas, my darling." Before he could argue, she turned quickly, straddling his lap while placing another kiss on his lips. This kiss, though just as passionate, was not reserved like their others. It was full of fire. Bella was putting all of her emotions into this one kiss.

His mind clouded, Edward forgot all of his earlier inhibitions. He just acted. He pulled her hips closer to his, grinding her into his erection. They both moaned at the contact. Bella slid his jacket from his shoulders and laid it nearby. His tie quickly followed. Just as Bella's hands moved to unbutton his shirt, his hands were moving up to the top of her zipper.

To keep her from standing up, he broke the kiss as he pulled the dress over her head. He quickly recaptured her lips. Bella was still working on his buttons, slowly and painfully, dragging a finger along the skin that was newly visible. Soon she pushed the shirt from his shoulders, revealing his hard, toned chest to her. She rubbed her hands along the lines of the muscles while placing searing kisses along his neck and jaw. He was rubbing one hand up and down her thigh while drawing circles on her back with the other, groaning in pleasure from what her mouth was doing to his neck. When her teeth found his earlobe, it was almost enough to make him lose complete control.

He reached over to grab some pillows from the couch and tossed them on the floor onto the plush rug. He gently lowered Bella to the floor. Sitting on his knees, Edward took a moment to really take in the view. Her hair was fanned out like a halo around her head. The fire was reflecting off of her skin, making her glow. Her lips were slightly swollen from their feverish kissing. Her breasts were perfect, pushed up slightly by the black lace, strapless bra she was wearing. He moved his gaze lower to her perfectly toned stomach and legs, pausing momentarily to admire the matching thong.

Before he could lean down, Bella sat up moving her hands to his belt buckle. As she unhooked it, Edward slid off his shoes and socks. She unbuttoned his fly and lowered the zipper. Just as slowly as she did with the shirt, she took her time lowering his slacks. As she did, she allowed her hands to brush over his erection that was straining against the black boxer-briefs, eliciting a hiss of pleasure from Edward. When they were finally off his legs, she, too, took the time to admire him. His strong chest was matched by his chiseled abs. There was a fine line of hair that led into the band of his underwear. His legs were no different than the rest of him, rock hard from the years of exercise and training.

Edward leaned down and placed his hands on Bella's face, capturing her lips in another heat-filled kiss. He slowly pushed her backwards, settling himself between her legs, as his tongue invaded her mouth. She gently sucked on it, earning another moan from him. They laid there for the longest time kissing, allowing their hands to explore and learn one another's body. When they had to breathe, Edward looked down at his flushed angel. Making sure he made eye contact, he asked an unspoken question. Her response was a smile and nod.

He ran his hands up her sides to the front hooks of her bra, slowly undoing them, giving her plenty of time to stop him. He sighed in amazement when he saw her. Unable to stop himself, he bent down and captured her left nipple in his mouth while his hand worked magic on the right one. When Bella began to moan and arch against him, he switched sides. "Please, Edward. I need you."

He slowly kissed his way down her stomach, dipping his tongue into her belly button. When he got to the band of her panties, he ran his tongue along the edge. She squealed his name, causing him to grin. He slowly pulled them off of her and tossed them with the rest of their clothes. He placed a kiss on her mound before working down her left leg. After reaching her toes, he removed her shoes and then kissed back up the right leg. Once again, she called out. "Edward, stop teasing me, or I'll be forced to use the cuffs."

He chuckled. "Don't tempt me, Angel." Then, before she could respond, he kissed her center. She gasped at the sensation. He slowly slid a finger into her opening while running his tongue along her folds. "God, Bella, you taste so good." He continued moving his finger in and out as he made contact with her clit, causing her to scream out.

"Edward, that…feels…so…good." He added a finger and curled them up, finding her sweet spot. "Unh, please, don't stop!" He picked up his pace. He could feel that she was holding back. "Just let go, love. Don't stop the feelings. Go with them." She finally relaxed, and in no time, he felt her walls clench around his fingers and she screamed out his name. After licking her clean, he slowly kissed his way back up. When he arrived at her lips, he looked into her eyes and found them to be clouded with the same desire and love he was feeling.

She reached up and grabbed his face, pulling him in for yet another mind blowing kiss. Her hands ran around to the back of his hair and tugged slightly, causing him to gasp. She worked his underwear as low as she could with her feet. He kicked them the rest of the way off. Soon, she could feel his massive erection between her thighs, pressing against her heat. She wrapped her legs around his waist, inviting him to enter her.

"Bella, please stop me if you don't want to do this." She arched her hips into his while pulling down with her feet. She had the most determined look on her face. When he continued to be hesitant, she rolled him over and straddled him. The look of surprise on his face caused her to giggle. "Edward, didn't we talk about his earlier? You know if I want something, I'm going to get it." She leaned down to kiss him softly.

He actually preferred it this way for their first time. She would be in control. As if reading his unspoken thoughts, Bella raised up and slowly lowered herself onto him. They both moaned at the feel of him so deep inside her. "Bells," he began, only to be cut off again.

"I'm not stopping."

He shook his head. "Trust me. I don't want to stop. I just…do you have something? I wasn't expecting this."

She smiled. "I was."

The look on his face was priceless. "What? I didn't know what else to get you for Christmas. You have pretty much everything. So, I figured why not give you something you've never had? Check the left inside pocket of your jacket. Rose stashed some in there for me."

He reached above his head and pulled his coat to him. Sure enough, Rose left about 10 condoms in his pocket. "Was she planning on us going all night?"

Bella blushed. "You never know." She slid off of him long enough for him to slide on a condom. When he was finished, Bella slid herself back on top of him.

They stayed that way for a moment, kissing and holding each other as closely as possible.

Then, at a painfully slow pace, she began to rock slowly, the feel of their skin rubbing only making the feelings stronger. His hands moved all over her body, just enjoying the feel of this gorgeous woman. Her hands were doing the same, wanting to memorize every line of his body. His hands rested at her hips, slowly increasing the pace. Sweat was beginning to form on both of them as they fought to restrain their orgasms that were building increasingly fast. He knew he wouldn't last much longer, so he moved one of his hands to where they were connected and began to rub her clit. Moments later, he felt her clinch around him, bringing him to fall off the edge with her. She fell on top of him, and they just held each other, relishing the sense of euphoria they were feeling.

Edward rolled so that they were lying on their sides, facing each other. He smiled gently and brushed some hair out of her face and back behind her ears. "I love you, Bella." Her closed eyes opened and looked into his. "I love you too, Edward."

His face became that of concern. "Is this going to affect how we work? I don't know if I can trust anyone else with you." She shook her head. "I'm not leaving you. We were meant to be together, including at work. Speaking of, we need to sleep. Graveyard tomorrow."

"Okay, love. I'll be right back." He made his way down the hall to the bathroom to clean up. When he came back, Bella was already asleep. He laid down beside her, pulling her tight against him. This was definitely the best gift she could ever have given him. Not the sex, although that was wonderful. No, the trust. She trusted him enough to give him this. That he would treasure forever.

The sound of her soft breathing lulled him into a peaceful sleep full of dreams of forever. _Forever._ His last thought before drifting completely away.

**Okay, guys. So let me know what you think. Oh, and the link to a pic of the promise ring is available on my profile. Now, remember, this ring belonged to his great-grandmother so it is very old school. I'll have another update ready in a few days.**


	12. Tragedy Strikes

**A/N: Okay, guys. As I've been promising, the fork in the road has arrived. I hope you enjoy this chapter. It took me some time to write. I was trying to use correct terms, but I'm sure I messed up some. I did actually do a little research on a couple elements because I wanted a little bit of it to be factual. (A fiction story based on fact, lol.) So, enough of my rambling. Time for tragedy to strike.**

**

* * *

2 Months Later** _(It is February 24__th__. Edward and Bella have been together for about 3 months now.)_

Finally putting her past behind her, Bella was moving forward and not looking back. Love had definitely set her free, no matter how cliché that may seem.

Edward and Bella's relationship, both physical and emotional, was growing strong. That is, when work wasn't getting in the way. Thankfully they were partners; otherwise, they would never see each other. Their graveyard shifts never ended like they had hoped. They slept all day and worked all night. But, at least they could do it together.

Two hours after they had finally fallen asleep after one of their shifts, they were startled awake by the sound of Edward's cell phone. Not exactly a pleasant wake up call. The night had been long and sleepless due to Bella's persistent nightmares. She woke up 4 times screaming.

He reached out until he located his phone on the bedside table and looked at the ID. _Work_. "Ugh, what do they want?" Before Bella could ask what he was talking about, her own cell started to ring. She stood, flashing him a sleepy grin, and then went to find her phone.

"Hello?"

"_Cullen?"_ This could not be good.

"Yeah, it's me, Cap. What's up?" He started getting dressed while he talked.

"_I know your shift ended only a few hours ago. If it wasn't important, I wouldn't have woken you. We need you and Swan to come in early today. There was a rash of attacks last night, and we need all hands on this."_

"Okay, be there as soon as I can."

"_See you soon."_ The line went dead.

"Bells? Where are you?" She poked her head around the corner. "I'm right here. Was that the station calling you, too?" He nodded, a frown on his face. She walked over to him, placing a soft kiss on his lips. "Don't frown like that. You're gonna put wrinkles on that gorgeous face of yours." He smiled and kissed her back. "I'm gonna run home real quick and get changed. I'll be back in about 30 minutes. Wait on me, okay?"

Bella grinned. "Make it 25 and I'll let you drive." He kissed her again real quick. "I love you. I'll be right back." She laughed at his eagerness. She managed to tell him she loved him right as the door closed.

As she headed to the bathroom, a feeling passed over her that she did not like. The chill that ran down her back actually made her stomach flip and her heart sink. Brushing it off, she continued on her way.

She ran in and showered real quick and began getting dressed. When Edward returned, exactly 25 minutes later, she was pulling her gun out of the safe. He flashed her his crooked grin, green eyes sparkling. "I don't know if you were sexier in that dress you wore Christmas Eve or in your uniform. I think the cuffs add to the appeal." She laughed as swatted him on the butt as they walked out the door.

Taking advantage of her position, she allowed her eyes to roam his body hungrily. She loved the way his uniform fit him. It was snug in all the right places, emphasizing his muscular build. _Mmm, just something about _that_ man in uniform_.

As they reached the car, she yelled, "Hey, Cullen. Forgetting something?" He turned and she tossed him the keys. He grinned like a kid in a candy store as he pulled the cover off the Charger. They both climbed in and smiled at each other, enjoying their closeness, and both thinking that this should have happened so long ago.

The drive to the station was quiet, but it was a comfortable quiet. There was no need to talk. Their glances and the gentle way Edward held Bella's hand spoke loudly enough. As they pulled into the parking lot, things shifted. Even though the entire station knew about their relationship, they refused to flaunt it. They let each other's hand go and walked in quietly, sharing a knowing smile.

The station was gloomy. The word of a serial rapist spread like wildfire throughout the community, putting more pressure on the officers to find the man and stop him fast.

Everyone was pulled in, including the entire night shift which included Jacob, Ben, Eric, and Emmett, as well as Bella and Edward. Jacob and Emmett had been alternating each month and were back on the graveyard shift. Harry was splitting them up into quadrants, each taking a separate section of the county. There were six teams total, including those on the regular morning shift. The Captain finished his pep talk by wishing them all a safe shift.

They all headed out to their cars to begin the patrol, looking for a man. The only information they had on him was that he was between 5'10" and 6'1". He wore a ski mask, gloves, and sun glasses while attacking the women. They had DNA from over 100 attacks in the last 10 years in various locations, but without someone to attach it to, it was useless. Basically, they were looking for the proverbial needle in the hay stack.

Emmett caught up to Edward as Bella climbed into the passenger seat. He shot him a smirk and then placed his hand on his shoulder, squeezing rather tightly. "I saw your car last night, bro. You hurt her, you die. That's all I'm saying." Edward smiled. "Dude, if I hurt her, you can use my sidearm to do it. But I have to ask. Why do you say that every day? It's been months man." Emmett laughed. "I know. I just like reminding you. Take care of my girl." They shook hands real quick before Emmett walked to Bella's side of the car.

"Hey, little sis. Be careful, okay? I love you." Bella smiled. This was a first. Emmett never saw her off. "I love you too, Em. Be safe." He chuckled. "I always am." He ran to catch up to Eric before he could be left. Watching him leave, Bella got the feeling of dread again. She just shook her head.

Edward climbed in laughing, catching her attention. "Do I want to know?" He shook his head, still smiling. "Just big brother being big brother."

He started the car and pulled out. "So," he began, "about last night?" His voice showed that he was nervous. This was the first time he had the nerve to bring it up all morning. She thought back to last night.

_They were lying in bed after making love. She was draped on top of him. Edward had his arms tightly around Bella while she rested her head on his chest. She ran her fingers up and down his arm while the other made little circles on his pecs._

"_So," he began, "I was thinking about something." She tipped her head up to look at him. "What is it, darling?"_

"_Well, you know how I'm always here? And, I never use my apartment anymore?"_

_She smiled, liking where she thought this was going. "Yeah?"_

"_Um, well I was hoping, and if you don't want to, just say so, but maybe we could move in together?"_

_She leaned up to plant a small kiss on his lips. "I might consider it."_

"_Really?"_

"_Yeah."_

"_Um, well, uh, there was something else I want to talk to you about as well." She giggled, enjoying his nervousness._

"_Okay?"_

_He rolled them so that he was on top._

"_I know we've only technically been together a few months now. But, you've had my heart forever." She nodded, remaining quiet so he could finish. "I've already talked to Em about it. He's cool, actually asked me what took so long. But, I was wondering if maybe we could think about taking this further."_

"_What do you mean?"_

_He blushed. "Well, love, when I say I talked to him, I didn't just talk to Em. I asked his permission." He was dropping hints, and she finally caught on._

"_Oh, you mean getting married?" Her voice showed her emotions clearly. She sounded both happy and afraid._

_He looked deep into her eyes and picked up on her fear before her happiness could register on him. "Well, yeah. But, we don't have to talk about it now." As she went to object, he leaned down, kissing her deeply and making her forget every thought in her head._

The talk the night before about moving in together went fine. After all, Edward was always at Bella's house. The only time he ever went home was to get dressed when they were called in like today. Usually he just had his clothes with him already. It just seemed natural to take the next step.

The talk about marriage was a little harder. He didn't approach the subject anymore for fear of pushing her away.

She glanced over at him. She had thought about it all night. Even long after Edward fell asleep, she lay there watching him and thinking. She smiled at him, deciding to tell him just what she wanted. "I did a lot of thinking on that last night. I've thought about what I've said to you, what Rose, Leah, and Ali have said to me. I remember one time telling you that in our line of work, we don't always know what is going to happen. We have to live for the now. And, if that Halloween hadn't happened, we would probably never have waited 12 years. So, after fighting with myself for hours, I came to a conclusion."

He looked at her, worry and hope both present on his face. "What did you decide, angel?"

"Well, I've decided that I definitely wouldn't be opposed to the idea."

He gave her the crooked grin that always got her pulse racing. "Oh, baby. You don't know how happy you just made me. I should probably tell you something, though."

"What?"

_Edward and Emmett were walking around town on one of their rare days off. The girls were having a day in and the guys knew they needed time alone as Bella was hardly ever free._

"_So, Em. I want to talk to you about something." He ran a hand through his hair, a clear sign of his nervousness._

_Emmett stopped, a pretty good feeling about what was coming. "Go on."_

"_Well, Bella said something to me one night that has been in my mind constantly. She said we never know what is going to happen with our jobs so we have to live in the moment. Something along those lines. And, well, with your permission, I'd like to ask her to marry me."_

_Emmett chuckled. "Dude, what took ya so long?"_

_A sigh of relief escaped his friend. "I didn't know if you were gonna approve or beat me to a pulp."_

"_Man, if anyone deserves her, it's you. Besides, you've only waited 12 years for her." They turned to walk back in the other direction, when Edward suddenly stopped._

"_Oh, it's perfect." Emmett looked confused. "What is?"_

_Edward pointed at a ring in the window of the store they were standing in front of. It was a platinum Claddagh ring with a heart shaped sapphire in the center. It also had a matching wedding band. "That. It's perfect for Bella. She has always bragged about your Irish heritage. It'll make the perfect engagement ring." Bella's mother's family came from Ireland, giving the reason for Bella's "Irish temper." He ran into the store real quick, buying the ring he would give to her when she finally agreed to be his wife._

"I've had your ring since New Years. It was a spur of the moment thing. I saw it in a window and it just called to me. Got it the day I asked Emmett's permission."

She grinned at him. "Oh really? And, exactly where is it now?"

He blushed, embarrassed. "Actually, I've been carrying it in my pocket since I got it, hoping one day I would get up the nerve to discuss it with you. Why?"

She reached out and gently stroked his cheek. "I love you so much." She gave him a mischievous smile. "When are you planning on giving it to me?"

"When do you want it?" He flashed his own trademark smirk.

She smiled, shyly, and blushed. "How about as soon as possible? You know, like when our shift ends?"

He was about to respond when, suddenly, their radio came to life. _"220 Alpha. Crime in progress. 1300 Main Street." _Bella picked up the mic. "This is 220 Alpha. In route to location. ETA 5 minutes." Dispatch came back on. _"Roger, 220 Alpha. Be advised, suspect is armed."_ She keyed the mic again. "Roger, dispatch."

Edward hit the sirens as they sped towards Main Street. The trees and building flew by in a blur. Once more, a feeling of dread filled Bella. She looked down at the promise ring on her left hand, rubbing it gently, while trying, unsuccessfully, to push the feeling away. S_omething is wrong. So wrong._

As they approached the section of town where the suspect was last seen, Bella pulled out her pistol. Edward swung the car up to the alley where a woman could be heard screaming. They both jumped out, guns at the ready. They inched their way to the alley. Just as the man was tearing down the woman's pants, they hollered. "Freeze! Step away from the woman now!"

Startled, the man turned and fired his gun. Both Bella and Edward ran to duck behind their doors, Bella's door taking the hit. They both breathed a sigh of relief to see that the woman was running into a side door, taking advantage of the man's distraction. Their relief ended quickly as the man ran to a waiting car.

Bella and Edward quickly fired two shots each, taking out the back tires. This angered the suspect even further. He jumped out, holding a different, larger, gun, and began firing back at them. "Bella! Duck!" His shouting caught the attention of the gunman who fired a shot at him. He caught Edward's left leg that had been partially visible around the side of the door. Bella keyed the mic on her uniform as Edward fell. "This is 220 Alpha. Shots fired. Officer down. Requesting back up." Emmett's voice sounded through the radio. _"220 Alpha, this is 210 Charlie. ETA 5 minutes."_ Jacob responded just moments after Emmett.

Edward reached for his own mic, responding to the other units. The gunman took that moment to try and run.

"Stop! Put the gun down!" Bella shouted over the roar of the car's engine. Peeking around the side of the door, she took a shot, catching him in the thigh. She was still using the passenger side door as a barrier between the gunman and herself. A loud bang and the shattering of the car window were his response. She covered her head, protecting herself from the shower of glass.

She jumped up and took a shot just as he was doing the same. They fell simultaneously. The pain in her chest was excruciating. Gasping for air, she reached for her mic. "Officers…down." Unable to speak anymore, she turned her attention back to the gunman. She struggled through the pain to take one more look, and another shot if needed, just as she heard another two shots and saw the gunman fall once more.

She looked under the car, towards the front, and saw Edward lying on his side, holding his gun steady in the direction the gunman had been shooting from, bleeding from his wounded leg.

Keying her mic once more, she tried to get a message through to the others. "Officers…" Her voice trailed off as she fought to breathe.

Once he saw it was clear to move, Edward dragged himself to Bella who had her hand to her chest, gasping for air. He pulled open her uniform shirt and removed her vest to get a clear view of the hole that shouldn't have been there. He placed his hands on her chest, over her t-shirt, in the hopes of stopping her bleeding all the while praying the road was doing the same for her back. Their vests, though great under normal circumstances, did nothing to protect against the armor-piercing bullets the gunman used in his .338 Lapua Magnum.

Sirens began to ring out, echoing off the walls of the buildings.

He leaned over, looking into her partially shut eyes. "Come on, Bells. Don't close your eyes. Look at me."

Bella's eyes fluttered open, gazing into Edward's own emerald green ones.

"Take…care…of Em." Her voice was raspy as she struggled to get out her words. "I…love…you."

"Bells, don't you do that. You don't _get_ to say good bye to me. I am _not_ losing you. I love you too much." Tears began to roll down his cheeks.

Making a sudden decision, using his free hand, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring he had been guarding for the last month. He set it on her chest while he removed the promise ring. He then slid the engagement ring onto her ring finger. He put it in the position that would have technically been for marriage, according to Irish tradition, but seeing as he had a wedding band as well, he took a liberty with it. "Baby, I'll do this right when you're better, but I need you to pull through for me. I need you to marry me. To be with me forever."

She gave him a weak smile. "Forever." Her eyes began to close as she gasped out that one single word.

_Forever_. Her whispered voice echoed in his mind.

Darkness began to overtake her. Edward's loving face was the last thing she saw as she succumbed to the agonizing burning and throbbing.

**Oh, please don't hate me. I do believe in happy endings so don't worry too much about that. But, there are going to be a few more washouts in this road. (Georgia is known for them after all. lol) A link to Bella's engagement ring is in my profile. Please review.**


	13. Shocking Discoveries

**A/N: I know ya'll are about ready to kill me right about now. I promise, as I said at the end of the last chapter, I DO believe in happy endings. But, I couldn't just take ya'll from beginning to end without a road block, now could I? Now, I decided that we needed to see this the way someone else did so I somewhat rewrote the end of the last chapter from an outside viewer's perception and then continued with the story. So, here goes Shocking Discoveries.**

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* * *

**A chill ran down Emmett's spine when he heard the call stating shots had been fired in Edward's and Bella's location. As much as he tried to fight the feeling, he knew this would not end well.

Emmett hit the gas even harder when he heard Bella on the radio. Her message had been short and that scared him. These were definitely the longest five minutes of his life.

When he tried to respond, he realized that Bella's mic was still keyed. He heard everything on the other end.

"_Officers…"_ Bella's voice was barely audible.

Edward's voice was the next to come over the radio. _"Come on, Bells. Don't close your eyes. Look at me."_ The pain in his voice almost broke Emmett's heart in two.

"_Take…care…of Em. I…love…you."_ He looked over at Eric and knew they were sharing the same thought. Bella wasn't fighting. She was giving up.

"_Bells, don't you do that. You don't get to say good bye to me. I am not losing you. I love you too much."_ Everyone listening on the radio, from dispatch to the other officers to Harry Clearwater himself, were wishing more than anything that her mic would unkey. It wasn't so much that they were listening in on a very private conversation as it was they were listening to the last words of one of their own.

"_Baby, I'll do this right when you're better, but I need you to pull through for me. I need you to marry me. To be with me forever."_ Emmett knew what was happening. Edward had been carrying that ring around for a month trying to find the nerve to ask her. He just wished it hadn't been like this.

Bella's voice came through the speaker, so soft he had to strain to hear it. One single word, _"Forever."_

Looking at his speedometer, he knew he couldn't push the cruiser too much more. But, he did it anyway. The Captain could fuss at him later.

"_Officers down! Officers down! Officers need assistance! Medics needed now!"_ When the static first came through, he was hoping for a miracle. He really wanted to hear Bella's voice again, to wake up and realize that maybe this was a nightmare. However, hearing Edward's frantic voice through the radio sent chills through Emmett's body and confirmed his worst fears.

He pulled up at the same time as Jacob and Ben, his car squealing to a stop. He and Eric jumped out and ran up to the scene taking place before them. The gunman was down and in bad shape with shots to his abdomen and leg. Eric and Ben headed up to him to take care of anything there. Emmett and Jacob, who had become like a big brother to her, headed straight to Bella's side.

Emmett had tears in his eyes as he watched Edward trying to keep pressure on Bella's chest wound, not even worrying about his own. As he reached over to check Edward's leg, he yelled at him. "Dude! Don't worry about me! We have to save her! I finally got her, and I'm not losing her now!" Jacob checked Edward instead, knowing it would be easier for him to handle Edward.

Emmett checked Bella's neck for a pulse. It was very weak, and her breathing was extremely shallow. He keyed his mic. "This is 210 Charlie. Where is that medic?" Dispatch came back. _"Medic is in route. ETA one minute."_

"Edward, is your dad on call tonight?" A nod was his only response. Just as he was about to ask him how he was doing, the ambulances pulled up. A paramedic came running over. "Officers, you need to back off so I can work." They shook their heads. "We aren't leaving her."

The paramedic looked stern. "Listen, I understand. However, Officer Cullen, you need to be looked at yourself. Officer Black, you escort him. I'll let Officer Swan stay with her if you go over to the other ambulance right now. We'll be taking you both to General." Edward nodded and hobbled, with the assistance of Jacob, to where the other paramedics were waiting.

Standing up, Emmett told dispatch to call for the tow truck. After collecting Bella's vest, he let Eric know where they would all be at. Eric nodded. Then, his face turned nervous. "Uh, Em, you should know something about the perp." Emmett, ready to leave, turned around quickly. "What?" Eric looked down, and when he looked back up, his eyes were full of remorse. "It was Mike Newton."

Emmett looked like he was confused as to whether he should be relieved that they got him or pissed that he wasn't dead yet. "Where are they taking him?"

"General."

"He better pray he dies." Eric looked shocked. He had never heard Emmett talk like that, especially about one of their old school friends. Ben, who walked up at that moment, asked, "Em, what's going on?" Emmett had begun to shake in rage. "He raped Bella in high school. And, judging from the looks of their cruiser, he was shooting at her deliberately. There was only one shot taken on Edward's side, and it hit him in the thigh. Every other shot went at Bells. It's almost like he knew she would be here."

Eric looked like he was going to be sick. "Don't worry, Em. I'll keep an eye on his room. If he doesn't leave in a body bag, he _will_ leave with a pair of pretty bracelets."

Emmett nodded and quickly ran to the ambulance to climb in with Bella. The sight before him shook him to his core. The paramedics had gotten her t-shirt off and were currently using a defibrillator, trying to get her heart started again. "Officer, you need to stay back right now."

Trying to control himself, he looked around, hoping Edward had already left for the hospital. Thankfully, he had. He saw Eric and Ben climbing into a cruiser, following the ambulance that carried Edward and Jacob. "Alright, we need to move now. She needs to get to General ASAP. Officer, if you're coming, get in."

Emmett climbed in, holding Bella's vest in his lap. There were matching holes on both sides of the vest. The bastard had been using full-metal jackets.

Through the ride, he held Bella's hand. His thumb rubbed over the ring on her finger. He was glad it was there. He just wished that they had been able to do it sooner. They should be celebrating right now, not praying that Bella would live.

As the ambulance pulled into the ER, Emmett jumped out quick. He didn't want to get in the way when they were carrying one of the most important people in his life.

He tried to follow them into the room, but he was stopped by Carlisle Cullen, Edward's father. "Emmett, I know what you're going through right now. But, you can't be in here. Let me take care of her, you go look after Edward for me."

He nodded, even though he wanted to fight, and went to find Edward. He walked up to the nurse's station. "Jessica, where's Edward?" Jessica Stanley had graduated with them and knew that if one was hurt, she didn't argue with the other. "3B. Em, I hope Bella's gonna be okay." She gave him a weak smile. She was one of Bella's good friends in school, even if she was a little older. "I know, Jess. So do I."

He turned and walked to Edward's room. The moment he walked in, Edward tried to jump up. He hurried over to hold him down. "Dude, if you get out of that bed, I'm gonna cuff you to the rails." Edward quit resisting. "I can't help it man. I have to know something about Bella."

Emmett sat in the chair by the bed. "Your dad is taking care of her. He wouldn't let me stay either. But, you know he'll take care of her." He sighed heavily before placing his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry, Em. Once again, I didn't protect her." Edward's voice about killed him. "Ed, man, you know it's not your fault. Our vests were made to take shots. You didn't know that guy would be carrying armor-piercers. Now, I'm gonna tell you something. But, if you try to get up, I will restrain you." Edward's head shot up. This couldn't be good. "What is it, Em?"

Emmett stood up and walked over to Edward, knowing he was going to have to hold him. "The same guy who made you feel like this the last time is the same one doing it now. The perp was Newton, man."

Edward's face grew red with rage as he shot up. "What? Let me up now!" He green eyes flashed in anger.

Emmett held him. He let Edward vent. "I'm going to kill him! That bastard! I should have known there was a reason only one shot came my way! He's had it out for her since she told him no! Where is he?"

"He's currently in the operating room getting worked on. He underestimated the power of our little nine mils. Look, you have to calm down or I'll get your dad to give you something."

"Fine." His voice said he didn't want to. But, knowing he didn't have a choice, he quit fighting. He sat there for a moment with a distant look on his face.

"Ed, man. What is it?"

"I think Bells was trying to tell me good bye right after it happened. She said she loved me and asked me to take care of you."

"I know." Edward gave him a funny look, but continued on anyway.

"I put the ring on her finger and told her to fight. I told her I needed her to marry me and be with me forever. She said the word forever just before she closed her eyes."

"I know that too."

Edward looked at him, baffled. "The mic was keyed. We all heard. It broke me to hear it. I wish you'd been able to give it to her under better circumstances."

They sat there for a while, just listening to the sounds in the hallway, and thinking over the events of the day.

Suddenly, restless, Emmett jumped up from the chair. Just as he was about to start pacing, Carlisle walked in. Emmett turned and sat back down. Strangely, Carlisle sat on Edward's bed. "Dad, what's going on?" Edward sobered as he watched his father.

Emmett was getting just as scared. "Carlisle, how is she? Tell us something."

Carlisle looked up. His blonde hair was ragged, probably from running his hands through it. His ice blue eyes were showing the stress of the last few hours. "It was like working on my own child. I probably shouldn't have because our families are so close, but I couldn't trust her with anyone else."

Edward nodded. "We feel the same way."

Emmett looked at him, waiting for his answer. "Carlisle?" His voice had deepened, taking on an urgent tone.

"Edward, you may have saved her life keeping pressure on her wound. But, she's not out of the woods. We lost her a couple times on the table. The bullet hit her left lung and nicked an artery as well as her spine. We got her fixed, but she lost a lot of blood. We had to do multiple transfusions. Plus, when her head hit the ground, it left her with a pretty bad contusion on her brain. It's all up to her now. The advantage was that it was a through and through shot. Unfortunately, we'll have to keep her in a medically induced coma for a few days so that her body can heal itself. Edward, she can't have this right now. Hold on to it and give it to her when she wakes up." He held out the ring that Edward had given to Bella only hours ago. Edward took it, kissed it, and placed it in his pocket.

Carlisle stood up, looking sadly at the two men before him. "She'll be taken to ICU in a few minutes. Private room, of course. Even though it's against policy, I'll leave word that you can both be there." He turned to leave but stopped once more. "Guys, just so you know, if the bullet had been even a millimeter to the right, well, you know. But, I have to ask. Why was her exit wound so large? What caliber was the bullet?"

Emmett shook his head. "It was a full-metal jacket."

Carlisle looked down in a silent prayer that he was able to save her after hearing that. He then looked back at the two men. One his son, the other just as much so. He wasn't sure he could tell them the rest.

Taking a deep breath, he hesitated. They knew there was something else.

"Carlisle, what is it? You're holding something back." Not wanting to do it, but knowing he had no choice, Carlisle returned to his perch on Edward's bed.

"Had either of you noticed anything different about Bella lately?" They both shook their heads. "She wasn't feeling ill or tired? No change in her eating?" Once more, they shook their heads.

"Well, I guess not everyone experiences those problems." They looked at Carlisle, confusion clear on their faces. Emmett spoke up first. "What are you talking about, Carlisle?"

Looking at Emmett, and then at Edward, Carlisle's blue eyes began to fill with tears. "Edward, we ran blood tests on Bella. We did this to find out her blood type for the transfusions, but as a part of standard procedure, we ran our usual battery. Her HCG levels were up."

"NO!" Emmett's outburst caught them both by surprise.

"What, Em? What am I missing?" Naturally, Edward wouldn't understand the meaning of this. It wasn't something you dealt with everyday.

Emmett looked at Carlisle, who nodded his head, confirming Emmett's fears. His eyes teared up as he crossed to place a hand on Edward's shoulder. "Ed, man. The HCG is the human growth hormone measured to test for pregnancy. I only know that because of all of Rosie's appointments. Bells is pregnant."

Despite the situation, Edward's face lit a little. "Really?" When he looked at his father, that light dimmed into darkness. "No, dad. Please, no."

"I'm sorry, son. The trauma she suffered caused her to miscarry. I'm so sorry."

Edward's sobs shook the bed. Carlisle looked pleadingly at Emmett. Understanding, he just nodded his head as Carlisle left the room.

"I don't know how it's possible. We were always safe. But, I would have loved it anyway. So would she. She always talked about becoming a mom one day when we were younger." Emmett just held him while he cried. Then, just as quickly as he started, his cries stopped and turned to shouts of anger.

"I swear if he doesn't die, I will turn in my badge and kill him myself! He took my baby! Bella's fighting for her life because of him!" Then, another shift took place. "Oh my god. How am I gonna tell Bells? This will devastate her." Emmett's firm hand on his shoulder calmed him some. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Rose will help us. Remember, she's been there."

He hesitated for a moment, then spoke again. "Has Bella's monthly been normal?"

Edward shook his head. "No, she been training for that marathon the last few months, remember? That's probably why I never noticed a change. She said it stopped after the first month, which actually took place a couple weeks before we even made love the first time."

Another silence filled the air. Edward and Emmett locked eyes, green meeting brown, both filled with tears. Edward spoke first. "Have you called Rose?" Emmett smacked his forehead. "No, I didn't. I pray she didn't have the scanner on. If she did, she's gonna kick my ass." He took out his cell phone and called the house.

Trying to keep his voice light until he found out if she knew or not, Emmett spoke, "Hey babe. How's everything going?"

"_Hey baby. Everything's okay. Charlie's been a little fussy from the teething."_ Well, she didn't start screaming at him, and she wasn't crying, so she doesn't know yet.

"Good. I'm glad everything is fine. Um, Rosie, hun, I need to talk to you about something." He heard her take a deep breath.

"_What's wrong?"_ From the sound of her voice, she knew something was wrong.

"Well, some of our officers were involved in a shooting today." His voice picked up a slight quiver.

"_Oh my God! It wasn't you was it? Are you okay, Em?"_ Her voice told of her fear.

"Yeah, baby. I'm okay. But…" He broke off, tears blocking his voice. She knew then that there was only one possibility. Only one reason he would be calling.

"_Oh no, Em. Don't tell me…"_ He could hear her emotions as she spoke.

"Edward took a hit to the leg. It messed up some muscle but nothing too bad. He just has to stay off of it for a little while. But, Bells, she uh…" He was having a hard time getting it out. "Rosie, she took a hit to the chest. Her vest didn't stop the bullet. Carlisle worked on her for a while and got her back. But, he said it's up to her now. She isn't out of the woods yet."

"_Oh, Em. What can I do? I need to do something."_

"Take Charlie to your parents. Tell them what happened. And then, come on down here to General. She needs us with her. We have to help her fight."

"_Okay, Em." _Her voice was full of the tears he knew was running down her face._ "I'll be there in about 20 minutes."_

"I love you, baby. Please be careful." Emmett's voice was starting to crack. _"I will. I love you too."_

Edward looked up at the sound of Emmett's phone closing. "She on her way?" Emmett nodded. "I'm really glad she didn't have that scanner on today. Especially with the mic getting stuck open."

Edward smiled. "Yeah, probably wasn't your best idea letting her get that thing." He struggled to get to the edge of the bed. "Alright man. Help me up. I need to see her."

Emmett stood up and let Edward lean on him. He helped him into the chair and then pushed him to the elevator. The ride to ICU was silent. The elevator bell dinged, letting them know they were on the 3rd floor. When the doors opened, they made their way into the hall. They stopped at the nurse's station, but before they could speak, the nurse said, "1304." Carlisle worked fast.

They walked down the hall and stopped outside Bella's door. When Emmett went to push Edward forward, he stopped him. "Dude, I don't know if I can do this. It should be me in there. Not her."

Emmett walked around in front of him and bent down to look him in the eye. The look on his face was one of the utmost seriousness. "Edward, man. We've talked about this. It wasn't your fault. Bells wouldn't want you to talk like this." He nodded. "It's just hard. I just got her. I don't want to lose her."

His voice was thick with unshed tears. Emmett reached out and squeezed his shoulder. "She's a fighter. Especially when there is someone in her life worth fighting for. We won't lose her. If anything, in a few days, we'll be arguing with her to keep her in the bed and resting. Now, let's do this."

Emmett moved back behind Edward's chair and pushed him forward. With heavy hearts, they made their start on what would be a hard path to travel.

**I will admit that I cried while trying to write this chapter. Not from the pain of writing it, but rather because I was honestly moved by it. That never happens with what I write so it must have been decent. Let me know what you think.**


	14. The Living Dead

While the other guys, including the captain, came and went every so often, Emmett and Edward kept a constant vigil in Bella's room. It was two days after the shooting. Her scans came back and the bleeding on her brain was almost completely cleared up. Because of this, Carlisle explained that the medically induced coma would only last for one more day. After that, Bella would decide if she came back or not.

Alice and Jasper came up from Florida. Alice was on maternity leave due to her pregnancy being recently classified as high risk because of her size. Jasper decided to use some of his vacation time. When Emmett tried to talk them into staying at home, they hung up on him and drove up anyway. They were family and would not be kept away. Luckily they were only an hour south of there. Currently, Rose and Alice were watching over Bella while the guys made Edward go get some food.

"I can't believe this happened. And Mike Newton of all people. Who would have thought?" Alice's voice was incredulous. Rose shook her head. She had forgotten that they never had a chance to reveal the whole story to their friends.

"Ali, Mike raped Bella back in high school." Alice looked at her like she had sprouted two heads. "What? When?" Her voice rose an octave and told of her confusion. "The night that she was going to confess to Edward how she felt. Remember when she just ran off?" Alice nodded. "Yeah, that's why."

"Ugh, people like him do not need to walk the earth." They looked over at Bella. She looked so fragile on the bed with all of the tubes running in her. "How long are they gonna keep her like this?"

Rose shrugged. "Carlisle said it will only be another day. They wanted her to have a chance to heal and it's progressing faster than they anticipated. After tomorrow, it's Bella's decision when she wakes up." Alice stood from the chair she was sitting in, a thoughtful expression on her face. "This is kind of off the wall, but do you feel like the guys are hiding something from us?"

Rose nodded. "I didn't want to say anything in case it was just me, but yeah, they are acting weird."

Alice started to pace. Rose could practically see her wheels turning. Then, she started to bounce. Just as Rose was about to say something, the hyperactive woman stopped in front of her chair. "We have to get the truth out of them. I hate not knowing." Rose smiled, knowing that whatever plot Alice came up with, the guys were no match. "It's on."

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The guys worked their way through the line, gathering food they really didn't care to eat. They paid and went to sit down. Jasper and Emmett were watching Edward pick at his food, staring off into some foreign place in space. His fork tapped mindlessly on his tray. Finally, they couldn't take it anymore. "Edward!" They both yelled at the same time.

Edward dropped his fork and looked up, his eyes seeming to be void of any light. "I'm sorry, guys. My thoughts are just everywhere right now." They nodded, understanding.

Jasper spoke up. "Ed, man. It would help if you talked about it. With the exception of the fact that we all care for Bells, we have no idea what you are going through. You have to tell us." They hadn't told Jasper about the miscarriage yet.

Edward shrugged. "I'm just torn. I want to be strong for Bella. I want to break down. I want to go up to the third floor and kill Newton, yet at the same time I want to get him some help." He tapped his temple as he said this. "I just don't know what to do."

"I'll tell you one thing," Emmett began, "I want to know where he got that gun and the bullets from. It couldn't have been from around here, that's for sure. And, it wasn't legally."

Jasper's quiet voice rang out again. "I'll make some calls, see what I can dig up."

The others nodded. Just as Emmett was about to speak again, Harry Clearwater walked into the cafeteria. "Guys, I need to talk to ya'll. Hale, how ya doing boy?"

Jasper shook his hand. "Not too bad, Captain. How about you?" Harry shook his head, face glum. "Well, I was doing okay, under the circumstances, until I got some results from profiles in the system. Then I got some more news when I got to the hospital a few minutes ago. I got to tell ya'll something and you ain't gonna like it."

All three guys looked at the captain, worry clearly written on their faces. Edward spoke first. "Cap, what is it? And please, be honest."

He nodded. "Alright, well, first things first. That woman doctor, Dr. Reynolds, you know the red head? Well, she told me that Newton died. The damage to his liver was just too much for his body to heal. Naturally, we'll have to investigate because it was a police-involved shooting. But, Cullen, don't worry. Between the camera on the cruiser and the witnesses, you and Swan will have no problems. Second, turns out that Newton did some things in his past that would have bit him in the ass if he'd lived."

Emmett spoke this time. "What is it? Other than what we found out?"

Harry looked confused. "What did you find out?"

Jasper interrupted. "Uh, Cap? You had something to tell us. I'm sure Em will fill you in in a minute?"

"Oh, yeah. We ran his DNA to see if anything else would come up, while we were waiting to see if he'd pull through. We got several hits, including, well, uh…"

"Boss, don't leave us hanging here." Emmett's voice had taken on an urgency that seemed to be a normal occurrence.

"Emmett." This couldn't be good. He never used their first names. "Newton was the perp who raped Rose."

Emmett jumped up, his face turning red. Jasper grabbed his arm. "The bastard better be lucky he's dead! Especially after everything he did to Bells!"

Harry looked baffled. "Everything? What are you talking about? She's in ICU from the gun shot. Nothing else happened. Did it?"

Edward shook his head. "Captain, Newton raped her in high school. We just found out a few months ago."

"She was probably his first victim if it was that long ago. His attacks in the system start when he was about 20. Why didn't she say anything?"

"Captain," Emmett started, "he was one of our best friends in school. She was afraid no one would believe her. Plus, he threatened her."

"Why would he do that?"

"Because she turned him down."

Harry shook his head. "I'll never understand this world. I have to get back to the station to get the investigation going. You guys take it easy. Hale, good to see you again son." He walked away leaving the younger men to talk.

Edward started packing up his trash. "I wanna get back upstairs. I've been gone too long."

Emmett and Jasper stared at him like he sprouted a second head. "Dude, she's in a coma."

"I know. But, I just feel like she knows when I'm not there." They nodded, understanding.

Jasper gathered their trash while Emmett stood to help Edward. They made their way to the elevator. The nurse at the desk waved and smiled, not bothering to stop the men. As soon as they walked into the room, Alice pounced.

"So, guys. How was lunch?" They shrugged. "It's hospital food, not the Sizzler, Ali." Emmett made a funny face, emphasizing on his feelings about what they had consumed. Everyone laughed, even the glum Edward giving a chuckle.

Edward rolled his chair to the bedside. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring his father returned to him a couple days before. He couldn't give it back to her sooner, but his dad told him this morning that she could have it now. With everyone watching, he gently took Bella's left hand in his, slid the ring on her finger, and kissed her knuckles. "Finally, back where it belongs," he whispered. Then, his shoulders began to tremble as he finally let out the tears that had plagued him the past two days.

His voice, though soft, spread through the air. "Oh, my love. _He_ took so much from us. Please, fight for me. For Emmett, Rose, and Charlie. For Alice and Jasper and our other friends and family. We need you more than you know. Then, when you're able and we're ready, we'll try for another one. We'll really try."

Rose and Alice exchanged looks before throwing a glance at Emmett that said, _"What is he talking about?"_ Jasper had the same look on his face. Emmett just shook his head, a sad expression on his face.

"Bella, I'm so sorry. I didn't protect you two well enough."

Knowing the others probably heard him, Edward decided it was time to clue everyone in.

Loud enough so that everyone could hear him clearly, Edward spoke. "Carlisle found out when testing for Bella's blood type that she was pregnant. We were going to be parents. _He_ stole that from us."

Suddenly, everything made sense. This is what the guys were hiding. Rose and Alice walked over to Edward, tears rolling down their cheeks. Neither spoke, simply wrapped their arms around his shoulders. That was the wonderful thing about family. Words were never needed.

Catching everyone off guard, Edward spoke once more. "I want to see him." The lethality of his voice shocked everyone. "I need to know he's dead."

Jasper, normally the voice of reason, spoke first, surprising everyone with what he said. "Let's go. If it were Ali, I'd shoot him in the head on the autopsy table to make sure there were no mistakes."

"Jazz, you can't let him do this. He needs to be thinking rationally before he does anything." Alice's voice was quivering.

Emmett came to Jasper's defense. "No, I agree. This is a form of closure for him. He doesn't have his gun, and neither do we. Nothing will happen."

The girls shared a look, disapproving but understanding. "Okay. We'll stay here with Bells. Just hurry back."

The guys turned Edward around and headed toward the morgue. As they made their way to the desk, they were stopped by a voice. "What are ya'll doing down here?"

Turning around, they noticed Dr. Angela Cheney, the wife of Jacob's partner Ben, heading their way. She was the ME.

"Edward needs to see Newton's body. He just wants to be reassured." Emmett's voice, normally loud, was uncharacteristically soft.

"What are you talking about?"

"Dr. Reynold's said that he died. We just wanted the confirmation."

Angela's face was one of pure bewilderment. "Uh, guys. Mike Newton was never brought down here. And, as far as I know, and I know all of the doctors personally, we have no Dr. Reynolds."

"Ang, are you sure?" All three men were becoming very uneasy at this point.

"I'm 100% positive." She moved to her desk and started entering something into the computer. "He was transferred to a private facility. A place called Safe Haven. The doctor who made the request was one Dr. Victoria Reynolds. But, she isn't one of our doctors." A few more clicks on the computer. "According to this, she lost her license to practice emergency medicine. She isn't actually practicing there either, just signing all of the papers. Apparently, she is the private doctor of the men who funded the place. A company called Volturi Inc. It's ran by three brothers, Aro, Caius, and Marcus."

At this point, it was impossible to tell which man was more livid. After a quick "Thanks, Ang," they made their way back upstairs where they actually had cell reception.

While Jasper got Edward back to Bella's side, Emmett made the call. "Captain?"

"_Yeah, what is it Swan?"_

"We got some bad news."

"_It ain't Bella is it?"_

It touched his heart to know that his sister was so loved. "No, Boss. It ain't. She's still hanging in. But, we've received some bad information."

"_About?"_

"Newton. He's alive."

**Alright, I know. Another cliff hanger. But, I'm gonna start moving the chapters along soon. I don't want it to take forever for ya'll to have that happy ending I keep promising. Review and let me know how you like this one.**


	15. Heart to Heart and More Truths

**A/N: Yeah, so I got a few responses about Newton still being alive. I had to throw that twist in there. I have the make sure the happily ever after is worth fighting for. Actually, I've gotten to the point where I just close myself off and type the first thing that comes to mind. Then, I look back, make sure it works, and edit it so it flows. I think it's worked good so far. And, because of that, we will now get to see something new. But, you have to read to find out. Enjoy.**

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**An emergency meeting was called the next day at the station after receiving the news about Mike Newton. Unfortunately, this meant that Emmett had to leave his sister's side. But, he knew she was in good hands. Jasper was welcomed to the meeting by Harry who was hoping to use Jasper's connections at the GBI.

"Okay, guys," Harry began. "Here's what we need to do. Hale, call in some favors. Dig up anything you can on Safe Haven and the Volturi brothers. Also, find out why that doctor lost her license."

"Will do." He quickly left the room to use the phone at Edward's desk.

"Swan and Yorkie, trace the gun Newton used. See if you can figure out who's selling illegals. Swan, be careful. I should technically, and legally, pull you off this case, for multiple reasons."

"I understand, Captain." As they made to leave, the captain stopped Emmett. "Have you told Rose yet?" Emmett shook his head. "No, sir. Not yet. This all happened too quickly." Harry nodded. "Make sure you do, son. She needs to know." He moved to join Eric at the door as he responded, "Yes, sir."

"Black. You and Cheney get over to Safe Haven. I was status updates every hour on Newton. If they won't tell you anything without a warrant, let me know. I'll call Judge Banner and have one quicker than they can blink an eye." With a quick "yes, sir," they were out the door.

Harry Clearwater was now alone, with only his thoughts for company, in the briefing room. "How did things get so out of control?" He spoke out loud. "Two of my best are in the hospital, one fighting for her life. Doctors lying to cover for a rapist and attempted cop killer. Illegal weapons at easy access. We have got to take our home back."

He looked up at the ceiling. "Oh, Charlie, what do I do?" He called out to his best friend, knowing that waiting for an answer was silly. "Am I getting too old for this? I've been doing this job since you left. Maybe it's time I retire."

So lost in his thoughts, he didn't realize that he now had actual company.

"Boss, what are ya doing?"

He jumped at the sound of Emmett's voice. "Oh, Swan. What are you doing here? Aren't you running traces?"

He shook his head. "I came to tell you that the gun Newton had, the Lapua, came back unregistered. Yorkie and Jasper have teamed up running some leads that Jasper got from his contacts."

"Oh, ok. Um, how much did you hear?" He looked rather sheepish.

Emmett smirked good naturedly. "All of it actually. Since Dad ain't really here, I don't mind listening. You wanna talk?"

"That would be nice. Don't really have many people to talk to anymore. What with Sue passing a couple years ago, Leah in college, and Seth in the academy, I'm pretty much alone. That's why I spend so much time here."

"Ya know boss? None of this is your fault. There haven't been any rumblings anywhere about illegal guns and ammo on the streets."

"I know. I just can't believe that he took down one of my best."

Emmett shot him that smirk again. "Boss, you and I both know that she's _the_ best. She's so much like daddy it ain't funny."

Harry laughed. "Yeah, that she is. To be honest, I think she's better than your dad was. And that's saying a lot." He paused for a moment before continuing. "You know, I have a hard decision to make soon."

"Whether or not she can go back on the streets?"

"Yep. It's time's like this I hate my job. She'll hate pushing a desk. We all know that. But, until we know what all will happen, I won't be able to decide."

"She loves her job, Cap. She knew the risks when she went to academy. She's smart. She's tough, mentally and physically. Probably more so than any of us guys."

"Yeah, Black learned that lesson, didn't he?" They both laughed at the memory of Bella's first day.

"She'll pull through this. We all know she will. Just give her a chance, Cap. Don't give up on her yet. Who knows? She might wake up and solve the case for us."

Harry nodded. He knew everything Emmett said was true. "So, when is the doc supposed to stop the meds?" Emmett's face went sad. "He said today will be the last day. After that, it's her decision to wake up. And, I'm scared, Boss."

"Em, just remember everything you just told me. She's gonna fight. She's gonna show that bastard that she's not just gonna roll over." He smiled. "You two are like my own, you know that right?"

Emmett nodded. "Yeah. You were one of the reasons she chose this job. You and Dad." He grew quiet, knowing he needed to tell his boss the news they had learned a few days before.

"Boss, we have to break bad news to her. Really bad. It's not gonna be easy." Harry's eyes opened wide. "What news?"

"Well, when they tested for her blood type, they found out she was pregnant. The shooting and her head injury caused her to miscarry." Harry gasped, truly shocked. "I didn't know she and Cullen were trying."

"They weren't. It was as much a shock for Edward as it was for everyone else." He was silent for a moment. "She had been training for that marathon we hold each spring. She really wanted to win this year. Ya know? Something else to rub Jake's nose in, other than that mat in the gym. I really hope she gets to do it."

Harry reached over and placed a reassuring hand on Emmett's shoulder. "Don't worry so much, son. She'll be fine. And you just watch. In May, she'll leave everyone in their dust." Emmett cracked a small grin before his face went sad again.

"I should have protected her." Harry shook his head. "Son, no one, not even Edward, could have." Emmett shook his own head. "No, boss. In high school. I should have noticed the way he stared at her and always tried to talk to her. Everyone knew she had her heart set on Edward. He was the _only_ one who ever tried to get her to change her mind. He wrote her letters, called her, followed her around school and to our home. God, I should have stopped him then. I promised to take care of her. I let dad down." His carefully constructed walls fell and he finally released the tears he had been holding for months. His grief and guilt came out in a flood.

Harry merely sat there and let Emmett have his moment. "Son, you look at me." Emmett looked up, tears still shining in his eyes. "Your dad would have been so proud of you. And of Bella. Ya'll have become so much more than most who lost their parents at such young ages. And, you followed in his footsteps. Granted, he might have chosen something different for Bella. But, you are making a difference in this town. You are taking care of your family. And, you care for everyone you know. You have become the man he was." Emmett gave a small smile.

"Plus, between you and Edward, Bella knows how to take care of herself." A confused look flashed on the younger man's face. "What? You didn't think you were the only one who taught her a thing or two. All that fancy karate stuff? Yeah, that came from Edward. And, she even came up with some stuff on her own. Like that move she used on Black."

"How do you know all of this?" Harry smiled. "I followed her entire academy career hoping to bring her in one day. Keep her with the family. So when it was close to her graduation time, I went to the academy to finally recruit a replacement for Hale, and I had a long talk with your sister. She told me about how you would work with her on the boxing and self-defense. Then, on the days that you couldn't, Edward would work with her. Only he taught her karate, judo, and other martial arts."

"Okay. But, what about her special move?" He was really interested in this part of his sister's life. A part he never got to see.

Harry laughed. "I went to see each of her instructors. Naturally, her academic instructors were more than happy to brag that she was at the top of her classes. Her firearms instructor said that she was a sharpshooter and had she went in the military, she could have certified as a sniper." That surprised Emmett. "Why haven't I heard this?" Harry laughed once more. "Because we all know that Bella won't brag on herself. And none of her classmates wanted to brag about being beaten by a woman. So, anyway, when I went to talk to her instructor about her physical abilities, I was not let down. He told me that she completed the obstacle course fast enough to set a new academy record, beating both you and Edward. She took down every guy there, including Sam Uley himself. Sam went down courtesy of that special move." Sam Uley was huge, bigger than Jake, making him the best instructor for the physical agilities class. No one took him down. Not Emmett, not Jake, no one. Except Bella, apparently.

"Wow. My sister has become a legend and no one knows it." Harry nodded. "Yeah, she has. But, others do know. Other precincts and organizations were looking at her as well. That's why I handpicked her days before her graduation. I had to get to her before someone else could. Of course, it was ultimately her decision. She has a very bright future ahead of her, as soon as she makes it over this obstacle. I've been getting some calls the last two days, since news of this broke, from different organizations."

Emmett looked up. "From where, Boss?" Harry shot him a grin. "Now, you can't say anything about this. I've gotten calls from GBI, FBI, DEA, ATF, and plenty of others."

Emmett was once more baffled. "About what? Something like this surely wouldn't catch their attention, would it?" Harry shook his head. "Not the case, although GBI may get involved. They're interested in your sister."

"What?"

"Yeah, apparently she had been putting out some feelers, with a lot of encouragement on my part. She didn't want to leave, but I ain't gonna have her throwing away what could be an excellent opportunity for her. Anyway, they know what happened to her. But, between her record here and her time at the academy, she has some supporters in very high places. That's why I'm not wanting to put her on a desk. I want her to fight. To show everyone what she's made of." Emmett shook his head. "Wow. My little sis being recruited by the big wigs. I wonder what Edward will say."

"He didn't know she was looking?"

"If he did, he didn't say anything. She definitely didn't tell me."

"Crazy. Maybe she just didn't want to get her hopes up? You know she has a hard time believing in herself. I mean, she has confidence in her abilities. But, she was probably unsure if they would be interested in a small town cop."

Just as Emmett was going to speak, Jasper and Eric came running in. "Boss, we have something on the Volturi. You ain't gonna believe this."

Both Emmett and Harry were on their feet in a flash. "Well, what is it?"

Jasper shot Emmett an apologetic look before he began. "It seems that Volturi is a "hit for hire" type group. Yes, their hospital is a legit company. But, they have a clear connection to James Mason, the man who killed Charlie and Renee."

Emmett's eyes widened. He apparently wasn't expecting this.

"Well," Harry said, "don't keep us waiting."

Eric picked up where Jasper left off. "James Mason is married to their doctor, Victoria Reynolds, the same one who said Newton was dead then transferred him. But, there's more. Seems they are connected to a drug case Charlie was working. He made a traffic stop that resulted in one of their traffickers going away for a long time. They lost a lot of money on that deal, we're talking millions. Now, we're making assumptions now. But, it's possible they hired Mason to go after Charlie for revenge."

Emmett and Harry looked at each other. "So, how does this tie to Newton and Bella?"

"Well, Bella was the only one that would testify at Mason's parole hearings. Newton was a lackey of theirs. Another one of their traffickers. What better way to move up the ranks than to take out the person keeping their number one hit man behind bars?"

A stunned silence filled the air. Harry finally broke it. "How did ya'll get all this?"

Jasper smiled a little. "Thanks to a few favors, I got info from the GBI. Turns out Volturi has been on their radars for a while so they put someone in undercover."

"Wow." Emmett was speechless right now.

"Oh, and we also found out why Reynolds lost her license. Seems she couldn't keep her hands out of the hospital pharmacy."

Harry just shook his head. "Alright, great job, guys. Keep at it and let me know if Black and Cheney check in. Swan, head back to the hospital. Let me know how Bella's doing."

They all left, leaving Harry to his thoughts once more.

**So, we see the emotional side of two more men close to Bella. I actually loved the way this one turned out. What do ya'll think? Review and let me know. Oh, and if you have any ideas that you would like me to add, just send them to me. I'm open to any suggestions.**


	16. The Awakening

**A/N: Okay, guys. I know its been a few days. I just started new classes and I'm working on a getting a new job, so its been kinda crazy here. I will continue to update until the story ends, I promise. I've also just been giving it time to stew so that my ideas are fresh. Now, without further ado, The Awakening.**

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**When Emmett arrived back at the hospital, he wasn't too surprised to find Carlisle in Bella's room. He was shocked as to the reason, however.

"Uh, guys. What's going on?"

Every head in the room turned to look at him. Edward's smile said it all. "They said that they can stop the meds today. She's healing more quickly than they thought she would."

"Really?" Emmett's voice was full of excitement.

Carlisle laughed. "Yes, really. But, remember, it could still be a little while before she wakes up. Her body has been through a lot. So, don't get too impatient with her."

He nodded as he joined Edward by the bed. Four sets of eyes watched as Carlisle shut off the IV that was pumping the medication into Bella. He removed that bag while leaving the normal saline IV running. "Now, we wait." He left the room to make his rounds.

Alice walked over and gave her brother a hug. "Call me if anything changes." Edward nodded and returned her embrace. Rose gave Emmett the same message and then left with Alice.

Soon, the men were sitting in chairs on either side of the woman they both loved. The sound of the heart monitor was the only noise in the room.

Emmett looked at Edward, taking in his appearance and wondering if he was as bad. Edward had dark rings under his normally bright, but now dull, green eyes. He hadn't shaved in days. His clothes were rumpled. Luckily, he was no longer confined to the wheelchair, using crutches to get around instead. He knew his news would only make things worse, but he also knew he couldn't wait.

"Ed, man. We got some major information today." Edward looked up at the man across from him. "Really? What?" Emmett proceeded to tell him about all of the intel they received. He watched as an array of emotions flittered across Edward's face, ranging from rage to dismay.

"Man, I can't believe this. So, Bella's getting shot wasn't random? Neither was Charlie's car jacking?"

"Nope."

Edward leaned forward, elbows on the edge of the bed and head in his hands. He couldn't believe how one traffic stop could cause so many problems 20 years later, longer even. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked up.

Emmett's voice was soft. "Listen, I'm gonna go home, see Charlie and Rose. You need your time alone right now. Call me later, okay?" Edward nodded his response and soon he was alone with his love.

He reached out and grasped her hand in his. He whispered to her as he ran his thumb over her ring. "Okay, love. Now's the time you wake up. I know you're in there. I know you can hear me. Please, come back to me now. I love you."

He laid his head down, the top of it rubbing against Bella's hip. He fell into a deep, but restless, sleep.

The darkness was overbearing. She couldn't even see her hand in front of her face, literally. _Where am I?_ She listened for anything that might give her a clue, but still, there was nothing.

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_Bella…_

She heard her name. But, who was there? "Hello? Who are you? Where are you?"

_Bella…Honey, it's me._

"Mom? How is that…" Oh, no. "Am I?"

_No, my dear one. You are still alive. Sort of, in limbo._

"Is Dad here too?" She still couldn't see anything.

_No, sweetie. He's waiting for me. I needed to tell you to fight. There are so many people waiting for you. And one great man that hasn't left your side. He needs you with him if he's going to survive._

"But, how is this possible? Wait. What do you mean if Edward is going to survive?"

_His heart is broken. He is blaming himself, as is your brother. You need to be there for them, to show them that this had nothing to do with any of you. It was just something that should never have happened. Something set into action a long time ago._

"What are you talking about, Mom? I'm confused."

_You'll find out soon, my love. But you have to wake up. Go to them. I love you._

"I love you, too, Mom." Suddenly, the dark brightened and she could see the image of a woman. "Wait, Mom. Come back." _It's time, Isabella. You must go now._ The woman, her mother, joined a man, whom she assumed was her father, and faded away as the brightness became almost blinding.

A new voice entered her mind. Edward.

"Okay, love. Now's the time you wake up. I know you're in there. I know you can hear me. Please, come back to me now. I love you."

The bright light dimmed and she was hit with a new sensation. Pain.

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Bella stirred in her bed, her hand brushing against something soft. "Ohhh…" She moaned. Her body was aching.

She opened her eyes and looked around. The white walls were too white. _Great, a hospital. My favorite._ She tried to call out, but choked instead. Glancing down, she caught sight of a familiar head of hair. Edward.

Since she couldn't vocally get his attention, she did the next best thing. She carefully reached out with her hand and pulled on a few strands. As he moved, her eyes caught sight of something on her hand. A ring, but not the one she remembered.

She tugged on his hair once more, this time rousing him. He looked up and his green eyes met with the chocolaty brown of hers. "Oh my God! You're awake!" He quickly pressed the nurse's button.

"_Can I help you?"_

"Bella's awake! Call Dr. Cullen!"

Moments later, Carlisle walked in the room, a huge smile on his face. "Welcome back, kiddo. We've missed you."

Once more, Bella tried to speak. "No, Bella. Don't try to talk. You have a tube down your throat. We need to remove it first, okay? Now, when I say, I need you to cough for me." He moved into position. "Okay, cough."

Bella did as she was told and slowly the tube was extracted. "Water," she gasped out. Edward brought a cup of water to her, allowing her to sip some carefully through the straw. "Better?" She nodded.

Carlisle checked her wounds and then looked into her eyes, checking her pupil reaction. Satisfied with what he saw, he spoke. "Alright, it's going to be a little hard to talk for a few days. You're gonna have to undergo some therapy, both for your lung function and to get you back on your feet. I'll have that set up to start in the next day or so, okay? Edward, don't let her wear herself out. I'll go call the others." They both nodded, not wanting to break eye contact in the fear that this might just be a dream.

Edward reached out to caress her cheek. "Oh, my love. I was so worried that I'd lost you." She smiled slightly. "Never" was her whispered reply. He took her left hand, instinctively rubbing his hand over her ring. "Edward?" He leaned closer so that she could whisper easier without straining herself. "What is it, love? Are you okay?" She nodded. "Where did the ring come from?"

"Do you remember what happened?" She shook her head. "I'm not sure. How long have I been here?"

He looked down, his face showing every sign of exhaustion and fear that he had gained since the shooting occurred. "It's been about five days, sweetie."

"What happened?"

"Um, maybe we should talk with dad before I tell you anything. He may want you to do this on your own." She nodded, understanding. Glancing down, she noticed the bandage under his shorts and gasped. "Edward, what happened to you?"

"I can't tell you yet, love. That is part of the memories that you are missing. But, I promise you will know soon. What do you remember?"

She took a deep breath, her chest burning. "I remember we responded to a call down town. We pulled up as the perp was about to rape the woman. He tried to run but we stopped him. There was a lot of shooting." She paused. "Oh my God, Edward. You were shot. We called for backup and Em responded. The glass shattered above me and that's where it goes blank. Where is Em?"

Edward reached out and softly caressed her cheek. "He went home to rest for a little while. Carlisle is calling him and Ali and Jazz. They came up as soon as they heard. Well, I guess since you know everything else, I better fill you in."

Bella looked at Edward expectantly. "After I was shot, you made to take another shot and he got you with a full metal. I took him down. The bullet pierced your lung, caught an artery, and clipped you spine. Carlisle said you were very lucky." With tear filled eyes, she stared deep into his own green ones. "Can you tell me about the ring now?"

He nodded, his own eyes now filling. "That is your engagement ring. I told you I was carrying it with me everywhere. While waiting for the ambulance, I asked you to marry me. I asked you for forever. I wish I could have done it under more romantic circumstances." He looked down, unsure of what her reaction would be.

"Forever." He jerked his head up at her whispered reply. "What?"

"I told you. Forever. That's what I said when you put the ring on my finger. I remember." She took his hand in her own, squeezing gently. "Why do I still feel so tired?" Her yawn emphasized her point.

Smiling sweetly, Edward replied, "Hon, your body has been through a lot. Just close your eyes and rest." He leaned forward to place a soft kiss to her lips as she closed her eyes. Laying his head beside her on the bed, they both fell back to sleep, dreams of forever filling their souls.

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The sound of wheels in need of oil filled the air. Darkness surrounded him. Suddenly, he stopped moving.

"Where am I?" His voice was trembling with fear, already weakened by his ordeal. A sinister cackle was the response he received.

"Who's there?" Another laugh sounded. This one was slightly lower than the first. "Seems we have a loose end that needs tied up."

"What? What are you talking about? Who are you?" The tremble had become a full fledged shake.

"You do not need to worry yourself with that. Felix, please." Footsteps became louder as they neared him. A voice whispered in his ear. "This will only hurt a minute." The sickening sound of a neck breaking filled the pitch black room.

The deep voice spoke once more. "Demetri, join Felix. Take out the trash and then join us for the feast."

**So, what did ya'll think? Bella is awake now. I know, Edward didn't reveal the miscarriage to her, but he did it to protect her for now. Just until she is better. What do ya'll think will happen next? Only I know...Muahahahahaha! lol Ya'll know ya love me. Reviews are better than waking up to the love of your life. Or, maybe not. :)**


	17. Going Home

**A/N: Here's the next chapter. I'm skipping ahead a month in time. Mostly because the story is getting much longer than I originally anticipated. That and I'm dealing with occasional bouts of writer's block. I'm writing as it comes now. In fact, I did half of this one on my phone. lol So, I hope you enjoy this.**

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**Bella's room had been busy for the last month. She had jokingly suggested that Carlisle have a revolving door installed.

She was finally alone; Edward and Emmett were getting food for everyone. Rose had gone to get Charlie and took Alice with her. Jasper was at the station, checking for updates. This gave her some much needed time to think.

She smiled sweetly as she remembered when Emmett arrived at the hospital the day she woke up.

"_Bells? Oh man! It's true!" He bounded to the bed and wrapped his arms around her the best he could. When he pulled back, his eyes were filled with unshed tears. "I'm so sorry." He pulled her back to him, burying his face in the crook of her neck. Over his shoulder, she sent the others a questioning glance. They just shook their heads. Something was off._

"_Uh, guys. Can I talk to Em for a min?" Everyone quickly and quietly left, including Edward, giving brother and sister a chance to talk. "Okay, Em. What's up?"_

"_I should have protected you from him sooner."_

"_From who, Bubba Bear?" He looked at her, suddenly realizing she didn't know who the shooter was. He stood quickly and called Edward back into the room. If she didn't know that, then there was a lot she didn't know yet._

_After sitting down, he continued. "Baby Bear, we know who the shooter was. I mean, personally know him." Confused, she looked back and forth between the two men._

_Edward picked up the story for him. "Love, we weren't going to tell you yet. We wanted you to be a little better first. But, the perp is Mike Newton."_

"_Shit. Are you serious? Wait. What? Is or Was?"_

_Sharing a look with Edward, Emmett continued. "Is. Somehow he survived. He was removed from the hospital but we have him under surveillance."_

_Everyone was silent while Bella processed the information. Emotions flitted quickly across her face making it impossible to tell what she was thinking. Finally, after taking a deep breath, she spoke. "Okay, so where do we go from here?"_

_The guys laughed. "What? What's so funny?"_

"_I told Edward we would have this problem. You, little sister, ain't doing nothing. You're gonna stay in that bed and rest."_

"_But, I wanna help," she replied, pouting._

"_Love, you have a lot of healing to do first. When Carlisle gives you the all clear, then we'll talk."_

_She looked between the two men, both wearing a stubborn and determined expression, and knew she wouldn't win. "Fine. But when he clears me, you won't stop me."_

"_We know."_

A noise broke her out of her memories. "Hey. How are we today?"

She smiled, her eyes lighting up. "I'm good, doc. Wanting to go home."

"Well," Carlisle began, "I think we might be able to arrange that. The therapists said you are well above schedule. All your tests are great. I'll get the nurses to send in your paperwork and you'll be free to go."

"Great. Although, I'm glad we live close, otherwise, I'd really miss you, Carlisle."

He walked over and sat on the side of the bed. "I'll tell you. When the medics brought you in, my heart broke. I love you like my own and don't know what I'd do if we lost you. Or Emmett. All of ya'll kids for that matter."

"Oh, Carlisle. Don't make me cry." A stray tear trailed down her cheek.

"I'm not trying to make you cry. Just being honest." He looked down and took her hand, touching the ring on her finger. "I will say this. When Edward showed Esme and me this ring, we couldn't have been happier. I know how long he's been in love with you. I've never seen him happier than when he's with you. Take care of each other."

She leaned over, giving her future father-in-law a hug. "We will. But, when can I go back to work?" He chuckled. "The boys told me you would do that. I'll clear you to go back to desk work for now. When you finish the last two weeks of therapy, and I examine you, then, if everything is good, I'll let you go back in the field."

"But, Carlisle, you're supposed to be on my side." Her tone was teasing, even if slightly let down. "I am, my dear. That's why I'm making you finish therapy first. Plus, I don't think Edward would want to arrest his mother when she beat me for sending you back too soon. She's been planning your wedding for years."

They were both laughing when the door opened.

"What's so funny?" Both Edward and Emmett were wearing confused expressions. "Oh nothing," Bella responded. "Just the thought of Edward putting cuffs on Esme."

Carlisle and Bella continued to laugh as Edward and Emmett exchanged a look that questioned the sanity of the other two. "I'll explain it later. Carlisle said I can go home today."

"Really? My Baby Bear can go home?"

"Yes, Emmy. Really."

Carlisle stood and moved toward the door. "Edward, would you walk with me? I'm going to get Bella's paperwork." Edward nodded. "Sure, dad."

Emmett went and sat with Bella while they waited.

Out in the hallway, Carlisle turned toward Edward with a serious expression. "Now listen, son. Make sure she takes it easy. We both know she is itching to get back out there. I've cleared her for desk work only."

"Not a problem, dad. I'll make sure of it."

"Also, and this may embarrass you, but I want to make it clear. Absolutely no sex until I clear her for field work. Understand?"

"Yes, dad. I don't want to do anything that will set her back. I love her too much. Plus, we still have a lot to talk about."

"I know son. It's going to be hard to break that news to her. She'll be mad that you waited so long, but she'll also know you had her best interests at heart. And, remember, if she needs to talk to anyone, call Esme or Rose. They've both been there before and will know what to do and say."

"Thanks, dad. I will. Oh, and thank you for taking care of her. I know Em appreciates it too."

He hugged his father, catching the older man off guard. "I wouldn't have had it any other way, my boy. Now, let me get those papers so that ya'll can get her home."

He turned away and moved toward the nurses' station before Edward could see the tears shining in his blue eyes.

* * *

Edward pulled his car into their driveway. Yes, theirs. Bella had told Edward a week after she woke up that he had exactly two weeks to move in or else. He didn't know what the "or else" was but wasn't taking his chances.

He shut off the engine and ran around to her side of the car. Opening her door, he held out a hand for her to hold onto. "Okay, love. Do you want to stay in the living room or go into the bedroom?"

Standing up close to him, she smiled mischievously. "Why, Officer Cullen? Are you propositioning me?" He chuckled. "No, love. You know we can't do that yet."

"Okay, well in that case, just leave me in the living room. The couch sounds really good right now."

They made their way up the stairs and into the house. After helping her sit on the couch, he turned on the stereo before sitting beside her. "Love, there are a few things we need to talk about."

"I had a feeling there were some things you weren't telling me. So, spill."

He turned to her and took her hands. "Alright. First, turns out Newton was responsible for over 100 rapes the last 10 years."

"So he was the one doing it."

He nodded. "Yep. Those rapes include Rose's." She gasped. "Oh my god. No. Em hasn't killed him yet? How did Rose take the news?"

"Em hasn't killed him because he isn't officially working the case. We are keeping him in the background for legal reasons. Rose took it fairly well, all things considered. She put it behind her so it was more of a closure thing than anything."

He looked down, hesitating. She knew he had something bad to tell her. "Edward, darling, look at me." He turned his head further away. Reaching over, she caught his chin between her fingers and turned him to her. She was shocked to find his beautiful green eyes full of tears. "Honey, what's wrong?"

"Love, you're probably going to hate me for not telling you this sooner. But, please remember that I was waiting until I was sure you could handle it."

"What is it?"

"When they first took you in after the shooting, they had to run blood tests to find out your blood type. Carlisle said they went ahead and ran everything they normally do."

"Okay." She was growing more worried as she seen more tears roll down his cheeks.

"Honey, they found out that your HCG levels were up."

She interrupted him before he could continue. "What is HCG, hon?"

"HCG is the human growth hormone. It's what doctors look for to check for pregnancy."

"What? We're pregnant? How? Oh my god! That's awesome!" Her excited rants stopped immediately when she seen the look on Edward's face. "Oh no." Her chocolate eyes began to fill with her own tears.

"Carlisle said that the trauma your body went through was too much for the baby. It caused you to miscarry." Before he could finish his statement, Bella was already shaking from the force of her sobs. "I'm so sorry baby. I'm sorry I didn't protect you better."

"It's not your fault Edward." She stood up slowly, being cautious not to jar herself. "I need to lay down for a while."

Knowing she needed time, he walked her to her bed and then went back into the living room. Then, changing his mind, he headed into the kitchen. Picking up the phone, he typed in the first number that popped into his head.

"_Hello?"_

"Hey, mom. Do you have a minute?"

"_Anytime for my boy."_

"I just told Bells about the miscarriage."

"_Oh. Well, she's going to need some time. It's hard enough for a woman when she is aware of the pregnancy and loses it. But, when you don't know and then you find out unexpectedly, it's going to hit you a lot harder. She'll come to you when she's ready."_

"Thanks, mom."

"_No problem. You know you can always talk to me. How are you dealing with it?"_

"I'm not sure. It kills me because, even though we didn't plan on having a child right now, we created that little life. And, then, before we even knew about it, it was taken away from us. But, I think I'm coming to terms with it. I just hope that we have that chance later in life."

"_Oh, you will honey. You have plenty of time."_

"I know. Well, I'm going to go check on Bella. See if she needs anything. I'll call you later, mom."

"_Okay, baby. I love you."_

"I love you too." Edward hung up the phone feeling a hundred times better. He left the kitchen and made his way toward their room. He knocked on the door. "Bella, honey?"

There was no answer. "Love?" When he was again met with silence, he walked in the room. The bed was empty. He made his way into the bathroom and also checked the closet. Still no Bella. Then, his eye caught something on the pillow. He walked over and picked up a sheet of paper.

_Edward,_

_Please don't be worried. I just went for a walk. I need some time to clear my head. I'm sorry I snuck out, but I knew that you wouldn't let me go if you knew. I'll be back soon. I promise._

_I love you. Forever._

_Bella_

"Oh, Bella." He understood why she didn't say anything, but he definitely wouldn't have stopped her. He would have wanted to know where she was, though. He looked at his watch. _Alright, I'll give her an hour. If she ain't home, then I'll call Em._

He spent his time putting away Bella's clothes from her time in the hospital. At the bottom of the bag, he found her uniform. It wasn't usable due to the stains, but Bella refused to dispose of it. She would also be issued a new vest, but felt the old one needed to be kept as a reminder. Personally, Edward wanted to get rid of any reminder of that day, but he would respect her wishes. He put everything but her vest away at the top of their closet. Sitting down on the bed, he held the vest in his lap. He ran his fingers over the holes, still unable to deal with how close he came to losing his soul mate.

Tears ran down his cheeks as the memories of that day flooded his mind. Never again would he let that happen. He would make sure that he came between the bullet and Bella even if it meant that he would lose his life. Because he knew that if he lost Bella, he would die inside anyway.

The phone ringing brought him out of his thoughts.

"Lo."

"_Hey, bro. Bells awake?"_ Oh, no. Emmett. Looking at his watch, Edward realized that it had been almost an hour and a half since he found Bella's note. Had he been lost in thought that long?

"No, man. She ain't here. Left me a note saying she needed some time to think, but didn't say where she went. I was just about to go find her."

"_Stay there. I'll come with you."_

"Alright. See you in a few." The line went dead. Not five minutes later, he heard Emmett's voice booming through the house. "Yo, Ed. Where ya at?"

Edward walked out to the living room. "Ready to go?"

"Yep, let's hit it. I have a feeling I know where she is." Edward gave him a questioning look. "The cemetery. She has always went to mom and dad when she needs to think."

Just as they reached the door, it flew open. There stood Bella wearing a look on her face that neither had ever seen. It was one of pure murderous rage.

"Bells, are you okay?" Emmett's voice showed a fear that had only revealed itself once. The day of the shooting.

"I want to find him. Now." Her voice, eerily calm, belied her facial expression.

"Love, maybe you should come in a sit down. We can talk."

"No. I don't want to talk. I want Newton. _Now!_" She pushed passed the two men and went to the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

"Ed, man. What was that about?" Edward shook his head. "I told her most of what we know. I didn't get to the part about your dad's shooting. But, I think the miscarriage news set her off."

"Why did you tell her?"

"Dad said she needed to know everything so that she can completely heal. We're lucky she's even talking to us for keeping it from her this long." Emmett moved to sit on the couch, cradling his head in his hands. "You're right. But, I've never seen her like this."

"Neither have I. I guess we better give the captain a heads up."

**So, Bella knows what happened now. And, she's out for revenge. Will she get it? Or, will she face further tragedy in her life before she can have her happily ever after? Only time will tell. Let me know what you think. R&R**


	18. Pillow Talk and Acceptance

**A/N: So, you know me. I had to throw in another heart wrenching chapter. I felt this one, though you may not agree, really brought Edward and Bella closer. It also gives us a chance to get closer to them as well. We share in their pain. We see a side to them that others may never see. And, if I'm completely honest with my readers, I will admit that I cried quite a bit while writing this chapter. I hope you enjoy it and understand my need for including it.**

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* * *

**The thunder boomed and the wind roared outside Bella's bedroom window. There was a gentle snore coming from Edward as he slept peacefully beside her. He stayed awake for the longest time watching her, so she pretended to sleep so that he could rest. He had been worried about her all day. Especially since she came in from the cemetery.

She did her best to convince him that she was feeling fine, but she knew that her need to find Newton was noticeable to both him and Emmett. She just couldn't fight the feeling. It didn't hit her too hard that he was the one that shot her. She could get passed that. She was broken hearted when she found out that he was the one that raped Rose. But, if Rose could deal with it, then she would as well. But, when Edward told her that his shooting her caused her to miscarry the child she created with Edward, a piece of her died inside.

She didn't know she was pregnant. Her period was never regular. It was even more out of control since she started training for that marathon. Plus, they always used protection. But, everyone knows that there is always a chance that condoms could fail. Yes, this baby would definitely have been a surprise. But, she would have loved it. She knew Edward would have too.

She absent-mindedly rubbed the ring on her finger. She couldn't wait to start her life with Edward. To marry and one day start a family. But, she just couldn't do that until she was able to seek justice. Once again, Newton has managed to build a brick wall in the middle of her path to happiness.

"Bella?" Edward's whisper broke the silence in the room.

She rolled over to face him. "Yes?" Lightning outside lit up the room and she could see the concern on his face.

"Tell me what you're thinking. Honestly."

She sighed deeply, knowing this was coming. She wouldn't lie to him, couldn't. They prided themselves on always being honest with each other and that would never change.

"He's done it again." He had an idea of what she meant, but he had to have it confirmed. "Who's done what, love?"

"Newton. He's managed to, once again, screw up my life. I don't feel like anything is going right right now."

She felt Edward stiffen and realized he took what she said the wrong way. "Nothing is going right?" The pain in his voice cut her to her core.

"Aw, honey, that's not what I meant. A month ago, I was so ready for you to move in. I was ready for us to get married. And, one day in the future, I wanted us to have a family. But, now I don't think I can do that."

"You don't want us to get married anymore?" This wasn't going the way she planned.

She moved closer to him, placing a comforting hand on his arm. She felt a tingle shoot through her hand, showing her that her physical attraction to him had definitely not faded despite the situation.

"I would love nothing more than to marry you, Edward. What I meant was that I don't think I can do that as soon as I originally wanted. Newton has to be brought to justice. Until that happens, I can't move on." She paused as her voice became choked with tears. "Edward, he took our baby from us. Our little son or daughter. A little life that we created out of love. He stole that."

She finally let the wall down that had been holding in her pain all day. Edward said nothing. He merely slid over, wrapping his arms around his broken fiancée. She needed this. Without it, she would slowly become poisoned by the hurt and angst inside of her. At least now she has a chance to heal.

A few minutes later, her sobs began to recede. He knew that he had to tell her the rest. But, instead, he would wait until tomorrow. She needed her sleep and he would not take that from her. She slowly relaxed in his embrace as her breaths began to even out. He knew she was faking earlier but left her to her thoughts. This time, however, he knew she was really asleep.

He rubbed her back gently, careful not to hit her wound. It still bothered her some, even a month after it happened. It bothered him too but for a completely different reason. It was one of the constant reminders of how close he came to losing her forever. That would never happen again.

* * *

"Love." Edward gently shook Bella, trying to wake her. "Sweetie, I need to go to mom and dad's for a few minutes."

She rolled over, away from the sun shining in the window. "Do you have to?"

He smiled, loving the way she never wanted him to leave. "I'll be back soon, love. I promise."

She pushed her lip out in a pout. "Fine. Would you like me to have breakfast ready when you get back?" He leaned down and kissed her softly on her lips. "Mmm. That tasted good. Don't worry about breakfast. I'll pick us up something on the way home. Try to get you a little more sleep."

"Okay." She reached up and pulled him down to her, taking his bottom lip in hers. She was rewarded with a moan. He relaxed slightly, still keeping his weight off of her. Bella slid her tongue between his lips, caressing his own tongue with hers. Feeling himself starting to lose his senses, he pulled back.

"Love. We really need to stop." She moaned in protest but reluctantly let go of his neck. "Be careful and hurry back."

After placing one more quick peck on her cheek, he replied, "I will. I love you."

She smiled. "Forever."

* * *

Edward pulled up to his parents' house. The sunlight glinted off of the massive windows. All of the curtains had been pulled telling him they were both up and ready to face the day.

He got out of his car and walked up the steps. The door opened just as he was about to knock. Esme Cullen smiled at her son. "Good morning, honey."

Everyone said that except for his hair and eyes, he was the spitting image of his father. Those two features he received from his mother. Her long bronze hair was pulled back away from her face in a high ponytail. Her green eyes were sparkling. She could easily pass for his older sister.

"Morning, mom. How are you?"

"I'm good, darling. How are you and Bella?"

"Okay, all things considered. Bella finally broke down last night. But, after that, I couldn't tell her about Charlie and Renee's shooting. I'll do that later. The last thing she needs is to have more reasons for revenge."

"She's holding onto a lot of rage about the miscarriage, I take it?"

"Let's just say that if I were Newton, I'd be finding myself some protective custody."

Esme smiled and then led her son inside. "Let me go get your father. He's in his office."

"No, it's okay mom. I'll just go in there." She nodded and gave him a quick hug. "Okay sweetie. I'm heading into town. Have a good day, okay?"

"I will. I love you." She gave him one more smile as he moved to go to his father's office. "I love you too son."

Edward knocked on the office door before walking in. "Hey, dad. You wanted to see me."

Carlisle looked at his son, blue eyes slightly saddened by what he was about to do. "Yes. I have something for you. I wanted to make sure you told Bella before I gave it to you. I thought maybe you would want it." He reached to his left, opening a desk drawer.

"What is it, dad?" He reached out to grab the paper Carlisle was holding out to him. It was a picture. Black with a white blob in the middle.

"That, son, is a sonogram picture." Pointing to one end of the "blob," Carlisle stated, "This is the head." Moving his finger, he continued, "These are the feet."

Edward's eyes filled with what were becoming ever present tears when the subject was broached. "This was your baby. From the clarity in the sonogram, I would say Bella was probably about two months along. Conceived sometime in December."

_Christmas Eve. Our first time together._ He didn't know why he assumed that, seeing as they had been together other times that month. His heart and gut were just pushing it on him.

"Dad, I don't know how to thank you enough for this. I'll talk to her about it before I show her."

Carlisle nodded in agreement. "That's probably a good idea."

Edward stood up. "I have to get back. She's still in bed and I promised her some breakfast."

Carlisle smiled, understanding that kind of love. After all, he felt the same way about his own wife. "Take care, son." He shook hands with Edward. "I will dad."

* * *

Edward walked into the house and heard water running. He went into the kitchen to set down the breakfast he picked up and then made his way to the bedroom. He opened the bathroom door. Bella was in the shower. Judging from the movement of her silhouette, she was washing her hair. Not wanting to scare her, he spoke. "Bells?"

She poked her head out the shower. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were bright. "Hey, honey." She flashed him a devious smile. "Care to join me?"

He felt himself harden at the mental image he got. Groaning, he shifted uncomfortably. "Love, that would not be the best idea right now."

She winked at him. "You know you want to." He growled. "Bella." Laughing, she moved back behind the curtain. "I know. We can't yet." The shower turned off and she stepped out.

Unfortunately, she didn't have her towel yet, so Edward got an eyeful of his very naked and wet

fiancée. Tossing her a towel, he moved toward the bedroom. "Dangerous, dangerous, dangerous. I'm going to get breakfast set out." The sound of her laughter followed him all the way to the kitchen.

A few minutes later, dressed in shorts and a tank top, Bella joined him. She walked over to him and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Guess what."

He turned and wrapped his arms around her waist. "What?" She smiled and began to bounce. "Your dad cleared me to start working out again. He said my therapists gave him the okay, that it would help my lung function."

He returned her smile. "That's awesome, love." He reached behind him and pulled a plate around. It was loaded with pancakes, eggs, and bacon. "This is for you. Go have a seat and I'll bring you the coffee."

She moved to the table while he gathered his own food and their drinks. They ate in a comfortable silence. Just after she finished her last bite, Bella spoke up. "So, what did your dad want?"

Why didn't he see this coming? Edward ran his hands through his hair before pinching the bridge of his nose. Bella knew these gestures. It couldn't be good.

"What is it, baby?"

"Well, my dad gave me something that he got for us." She reached across, taking his hand in her own. "What? It's okay, you can tell me."

"He, uh, he gave me a sonogram picture of the baby." Her gasp caught his attention, causing his head to jerk up quickly. "Are you okay?"

"You have a picture of our baby?" He nodded slightly. Her eyes started to shimmer with unshed tears. "Can I see it?"

He pulled the picture out and pointed out the head and feet the way his dad did. She stared at the picture for a few moments before holding it to her chest. "It was too early to know if it was a boy or girl, wasn't it?"

Edward nodded. "What would you have wanted, Edward? A boy or girl?" He stared in her eyes, seeing that she was serious and expecting an answer. "Honestly, I would have wanted a beautiful little girl, with your brown curls and my mom's green eyes. The features of the two most beautiful women I know and love."

"Hannah Grace." Her gentle whisper barely reached Edward.

"What did you say, love?" She looked at him, her eyes shining with something that had never been there before. It was like love, but not what he usually seen when she was directing it towards him. It was a mother's love. "Hannah Grace Cullen. Her name."

He stood and walked around the table to her. He gathered her in his arms, and for the first time, they cried together over the loss of their child.

**So, now that I've broken your hearts, I think I'll hide before you bring out the torches and pitchforks. Naw, just kidding. I do hope that you were touched by this chapter as I was. Sometimes I feel like I'm reading something someone else has written. I have never lost a child as I've only been pregnant once and was blessed enough to have a very healthy little girl. However, I know how I'd feel if I lost her, and that is how I conveyed the emotions for this chapter. Please, review and let me know.**

**I want to give a special shout out to cullengirl08 who has been so great with her reviews. I've been able to use the feedback to better enhance the story. Thank you so much.  
**


	19. Back to the Grind

**A/N: We're coming to the end of our story. I'm finding it to be a bittersweet experience. The next few chapters will be filled with ups and downs for everyone. And, life altering decisions for both Bella and Edward. Hope you enjoy the next chapter: Back to the Grind.**

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* * *

**The guys decided it would be best to keep the truth about Charlie's shooting a secret until Bella was back to work without restrictions. The last two weeks of her at a desk had been hell on everyone.

Bella woke up bright and early the morning she was due back in the field. She rolled over and placed a gentle kiss on Edward's forehead before heading in to take her shower. She worked quickly to make sure there was plenty of hot water for Edward.

She pulled on her underclothes, pants, and t-shirt before walking back into the bedroom. She went to get her socks out of the dresser when the picture frame on top caught her attention.

Edward had gone out and had the sonogram picture framed, with Hannah's name engraved on it. Even though she never made it into the world, they agreed she would always be remembered as their first baby.

She grabbed her socks and moved to the bed. She was excited to be on the morning shift. It felt like it had been forever since she was on that shift.

She felt movement behind her and turned around. Edward was staring at her with a mix of concern and adoration. She smiled. "What?" He flashed her a crooked grin, causing a tingle at her center. "You are so beautiful."

Bella blushed. "You do realize that I have my release now." She moved to kneel on the bed and began to crawl to him. She pushed him back until she could straddle him. Looking into his eyes, she saw them darken with desire. "I want you."

He pulled her to him and placed a kiss on her lips. His tongue caressed her bottom lip causing her to moan. When she did, he took advantage and plunged his tongue into her mouth. But, just as suddenly as the kiss began, it ended.

"Hey! So not fair." She pouted at him. Taking another chance, she ran her hands on his chest and shot him a seductive look. Yet again, he refused. "Bells, we have to get ready for work." She huffed before climbing off of him. "Fine." Before he could respond, she was out the door.

* * *

Two hours later, they were riding through town on their rounds. Edward decided to break the silence.

"Honey, I'm sorry about earlier." She didn't look in his direction. "It's fine." Her voice was flat. In fact, it was so emotionless, it worried him.

"I just didn't want us to be late." This time she did look at him, only to shoot him an irritated look. "I said it's fine." She turned away once more. "I know you don't want me anymore," she whispered to herself. Only she didn't say it as quietly as she thought and Edward heard her. He knew, however, when to continue on a subject and when to stop. He would discuss that with her later.

"Bella, there's something we need to talk about. It involves the shooting and the case." A nod was her response. "It also involves your mom and dad's shooting." This caught her attention.

"Why would the two be connected?" She was genuinely baffled.

He pulled the car into the spot they usually used to run radar. He didn't want to talk about this while they were driving. "Well, we found out through Jasper's connections that your parents were shot as a result of a hired hit. Your dad was working on a case that started with a simple traffic stop. He ended up busting a massive drug deal before it could go down. James was hired by the Volturi brothers to take out your dad. Your mom was just in the wrong place."

Bella was visibly shaken by this news. But, she wanted to know everything so she asked, "And the connection?"

"James is their best hit man. Newton is one of their dealers. You were the only person keeping Mason in prison. Newton was trying to get in good with the big men. So, he decided that taking you out, the only person keeping Mason away from them, would be the best way to do it. Only, he underestimated you. Apparently we all have."

She shot him another confused look. "What do you mean?" His face turned solemn, almost sad. "Why didn't you tell me about the applications you were sending out?"

"Oh." Bella looked down, ashamed. "I was going to tell everyone. But, I was sure that no one would want a small town cop like me. That they wouldn't want a _female_ small town cop. But, how did you find out about that?"

It was Edward's turn to look sheepish. "Emmett heard from the Captain who had been getting calls from all of those agencies. They wanted to tell him that even though they knew about what happened, they were still interested in you. We also heard about your days at the academy."

"What about them?" Edward smiled this time. "How about the fact that you certified as a sharp shooter? Or that you were the only one in history to take down Sam Uley? Or, that you broke not only Em's but also my record on the course?"

She shook her head. "Edward, you know I'm not going to brag about anything. I'm just not like that. Although, after the marathon, _when_ I beat Jake, I will be bragging." She laughed, feeling carefree for once.

Hearing the sound of her laughter caused Edward's heart to skip a beat. It felt like an eternity since the last time he heard it.

He reached across the seat and took her hand in his. After glancing at the radar to check the speed on a passing car, he spoke to her again. "So, how is the training going?"

He knew it was going well. She spent all of her free time right now either in the gym or at the track. The marathon was only a month away and he knew the shooting set her back. But, she was definitely making up for that lost time.

"It's going good. Despite the lung injury, I have actually shaved an hour off of my time from last year. Black won't know what hit him." She chuckled slightly then gave Edward a look that melted his heart. "Thank you so much."

"For what, love?" His head tipped slightly as he asked this question.

"For standing by me throughout everything we've dealt with the last couple months. For not giving up on me 12 years ago. For supporting me through my crazy training schedule. For loving me and wanting to be with me."

He reached up to caress her cheek. "My love. I wouldn't have it any other way. You are my life. Without you, I'm nothing. And, now that I have you, I'm never letting go. Ever. I'm in this for life."

A single tear trailed down her cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"_All available units. Respond to a call at the Highway 35 bridge. Reports of a body."_

"This is 220 Alpha. ETA five minutes." Bella's voice sounded clear through the radio. It was a sound that the rest of the station was relieved to hear as they weren't sure it would ever happen again after the shooting.

"_Roger, 220 Alpha.210 Charlie will be providing assistance. ETA ten."_

"Roger, dispatch."

Edward pulled the car onto the highway, lights flashing. They pulled up to find a crowd of people gathered in a circle. They climbed out and approached the gathering.

Bella shouted out to the bystanders. "Alright, everyone clear out. Stay nearby. We will need statements." As they made their way up, Bella received many well wishes from those who knew what happened.

Edward somehow managed to make it to the body before Bella did. When she made it to him, he stopped her from walking any further. "Bells, this might not be such a good idea. Wait for Em and Ben to get here."

"Why Edward? It's not like I've never seen a dead body before. Hello. I do the same thing you do. We work the same scenes."

"Bella, please, just this once, don't argue." She gave him a look that said he was crazy, but complied with his wishes. Not a moment later, Emmett and Ben walked up.

"Ben, can you stay here with Bells please? Em we need to talk." They moved away towards the body. "Em, it's Newton. I've been trying to keep Bella away from the body until the ME can get here. I don't know how she's going to react."

"Alright. Hold on just a minute." He pulled out his cell and place a call. "Hey Cap? It's Swan. We got a problem. The body found at the river is Newton."

"_Holy shit. What does it look like the cause is?"_

"No visible marks. I'd be willing to bet his neck was broke. Then he was dumped so he wouldn't be found for a while. From the swelling, he's been in the water for a while."

"_Okay. Cheney's wife is supposed to be responding. She's on call today. Don't let Swan get too close. I'd rather her not shoot an already dead person. Even if he does deserve it."_

"We already got that one covered." They hung up and he turned to Edward.

"He said to keep Bells away. Don't need her compromising the scene."

They made their way over to Bella to break the news to her. "Baby Bear, we know the deceased and you ain't gonna like it."

"Don't tell me." Her voice was full of anger and her face was contorted in rage. "It's Newton, ain't it?" The guys nodded in response. "Damn it!" She turned and began walking away.

Edward ran after her while Emmett and Ben took care of securing the scene. "Love, wait!" He finally caught up to her at the car. "Baby, what is it?"

"I wanted him to see justice. I wanted him to pay for what he did. Now he'll never get that. I'm not sure if I should be happy or mad that he's dead."

Edward put his arms around her, pulling her to him. "I felt the same way when he was shot during the confrontation."

"I just wanted closure. And, either way, I guess I got it." She pulled back slightly. "But, I'm confused. Why would they want him dead?"

Edward shrugged. "I'm not sure. Maybe they were afraid we could connect him to them. Only, they didn't count on us having the connections we do."

Bella nodded in agreement. "Well, then I guess there's only one thing left to do. Let's solve this case."

* * *

They all met back at the station after Angela Cheney collected the body of Mike Newton. They wouldn't know how long he'd been dead until she performed the autopsy but said from her preliminary examination he died from a broken neck.

Gathering in the briefing room, they waited for Harry to arrive. They chatted nonchalantly about anything that came to mind, but every so often, Bella would feel glances shot her way. They ranged from sympathy to concern. Everyone knew about what happened. Word also spread quickly that she wanted to go after Newton. Naturally, her fellow officers felt the need to protect her.

"Alright." Harry Clearwater walked in, drawing their attention to the front of the room. "ME just called. She is estimating Newton's time of death to be about a month or so ago. His wounds from the shooting weren't healed. I'm thinking they got rid of him cause he was too much of a liability."

He shot a meaningful glance at Bella. "We need to take these guys down before they strike again." He looked at each person in the room, conveying a silent message that he soon verbalized. "I _won't_ have another one of my officers put at risk again because of these bastards."

He paused, giving his message a chance to settle in to their minds. Jasper, unexpectedly, came running into the room. "Cap, I just got a call from my contact at the Bureau. Their undercover said some major shake ups are taking place right now at the Vulturi hideout."

Everyone perked up, listening to the conversation taking place. "What do you mean, Hale?"

"He called in, said that all three brothers have been taken out by their own hit man. The others are running scared that someone has that much power over the bosses."

A chill ran through Bella, knowing this wasn't a good thing. "Who was the hit man?" Harry voiced the question running through all of their minds.

Jasper looked at Bella and then at Emmett. "It was James Masen, sir."

**Another twist in the road for our wonderful officers. Read and review. Looking forward to your feedback. I will be working on the next chapter shortly so please just be patient.**


	20. Take Down

**A/N: What are the lyrics to that song? "Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road." Well, guess what. Those lyrics describe this chapter perfectly. I hope you enjoy Take Down.**

The cruisers pulled up to the warehouse with lights off, only guided by the light of the full moon. The officers climbed out, moving silently around the exterior of the building, covering all doors before anyone moved in. They waited patiently for the GBI undercover to give the signal.

Normally, the locals wouldn't have been involved with a GBI investigation. However, because they were connected in so many ways to the case, they felt that they could be of some assistance. Plus, it would have taken too long to get anymore state officers in.

"Alright, guys." Derek Harrison, the investigator on the inside, spoke in a whisper through the radio. "Move in quickly and quietly. The only two in here are Masen and Reynolds. Let's go."

Bella and Edward went in through the front. Jacob and Eric took the back. Emmett and Ben had the side door. All at once, they went in, their stealth keeping them under the radar.

"Cheney and Swan, take the back rooms. Black and Yorkie, upstairs. Swan and Cullen, basement." They followed Harrison's orders quickly, wanting to finish this as soon as possible.

The only sound to fill the air was the occasional sound of a door opening. "All clear," Ben stated through the radio. "Same here," was Jacob's response.

"Swan? Cullen? Anything?" No response.

"Bells?" Emmett's voice was slightly frantic over the waves. A shot rang out through the air.

"Shots fired. Basement. Need assistance." Bella called out over the radio. "Both suspects are present and armed." Another shot sounded, followed by three more.

As everyone made their way downstairs, Bella and Edward were currently involved in a fight for their lives. They had been trapped in a corner by James and Victoria. Unfortunately, there was no cover for what they were using. The Lapua Magnum.

"Drop your weapon!" Edward's voice was strong over the sound of the gun fire.

"Send out the bitch and we will!" Bella shivered, knowing that she was the one they wanted.

"Edward," Bella whispered to him, wanting only him to hear what she had to say. "Let me go. Let's end this." Edward looked at her like she had grown three heads. "Are you crazy? I'm not risking losing you."

He lifted his hands and shot back in the direction they were firing from. He heard a yelp and knew he either hit one of them or came close.

"You just shot my wife! You're gonna pay for that!" A responding shot came in their direction.

"That's it. I'm ending this." Just as she made to stand, she heard Edward on the radio. "Emmett, get your ass down here now! Bella's trying to sacrifice herself!"

"Bella! Stay put!" The door at the top of the stairs burst open. They could hear the other officers making their way down. But, Bella being who she is decided it was best to sacrifice one as opposed to seven. She stood up and made her way out.

"Alright, James. Here I am. Just put the gun down and we'll talk about this." In the dim light, she could see his hand waiver. "You don't want to do this." She slowly took a step forward, her own gun steadily trained at his heart.

"Bella, stop!"

"Swan, get back in cover!"

She could hear the other officers yelling at her, but she wouldn't risk their lives.

"You kept me in prison for over 20 years. Away from my wife. You did it. Now, your boyfriend killed her. It's only right that you pay. I'm gonna do what that piss ant Newton couldn't."

He pulled back the hammer of his gun.

Everything suddenly happened at once. The guys at the bottom of the stairs hollered for him to put down his weapon. He pulled the trigger and Edward pushed Bella out of the way, the bullet hitting him in the abdomen. Bella quickly turned, and showing her sharp shooting skills, put one directly between his eyes.

She moved quickly to Edward's side as the others tended to the two bodies. Tears were already running down her face as she put pressure on his wound.

"You idiot! How could you? You should have stayed where you were." She could barely make out anything around her from the blur caused by the tears.

Edward reached up and gently caressed her cheek. "I promised…myself that I…would protect you. I couldn't…let you take…another shot like before."

Bella felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up. Emmett stood over her, despair written on his own face. "Medics are in route. ETA 5 minutes. Just keep the pressure on." She nodded her response and turned back to her fiancé lying on the ground in front of her. "By the way, nice shot Bells."

"I'm so cold." His voice was weak. "No. You better fight. You made me fight for you so now you can fight for me. Fight for our life together."

She felt him place a hand on hers. "I love you." She leaned down to place a kiss on his lips. "I love you too. I think we need a vacation." She gave a weepy smile and Edward gave a small laugh.

"You're right…We get through this…marry me. Right away." She giggled a little. "Babe, I think we established that one after the first shooting. But, I don't ever remember us agreeing that you had to take a bullet as well."

He smiled. "Well, you…know me. Can't…let you have…all the fun."

The medics walked in at that moment. It was the same ones from the last time. "What is it with ya'll? Can't find a safer way to get our attention?" The others laughed. "Alright officer. Let's see what we have here." He took off Edward's shirt and vest, handing both to Bella. He quickly put a compression bandage on him, and with the help of his partner, lifted Edward onto the backboard. "Let's get him to General."

* * *

They pulled up to the ambulance entrance. Bella jumped out and ran into the hospital behind the paramedics. As she rounded the corner, she literally ran into Carlisle. He wrapped his arms around her and held her as she cried.

"Oh, Carlisle. I tried to stop this from happening. I really did." He looked down at her, a mixture of pride and grief on his face.

"Bella. Edward told me what happened before they took him into surgery. You should know by now that he isn't going to let you put yourself in danger. Not to save him."

"But Carlisle," she argued, "I wasn't just trying to save him. There were five other officers in the building besides us. I didn't want any of them to get hurt. My brother has a wife and child as does Ben. Jake is getting ready to propose to Leah. Eric is already engaged and is getting married in a month. Agent Harrison is a family man as well. It wasn't just the officers I was protecting; it was their families as well. I was the only one he wanted."

"I understand that, Bella. But, whether you realize it yet or not, you are our family. You have been since you were a child. You always will be." Looking in his blue eyes, she could see that he was as serious as ever. "We all love you, Bella."

"Thank you, Carlisle. That means a lot to me." She looked down briefly before looking him in the eye once more. "Is he going to be okay?" Before he could respond, his beeper went off. After checking it, he said, "I'll let you know shortly. Go on out to the waiting room. Everyone's here."

She moved away from him, knowing she was going to have one very angry man waiting for her. And, sure enough, she came face to face with an extremely livid Emmett.

"What were you thinking in there?" His eyes flashed with a threatening fury.

"I was thinking about six other people that I didn't want to get hurt. I was thinking of an easy way to end the face off." She stood firmly in her place, hands on hips, looking up into his eyes. He may have a foot on her, but she would not back down.

"You could have been killed. Did the shot you took last time teach you nothing?"

She looked directly into chocolate brown eyes identical to her own. "Yes, it taught me that there are things worth dying for. So, if giving my life means that you and Edward and all of those men that I care for and work with get to go home safely at the end of the day, then by damn that's what I'm going to do." Her voice was strong and did not falter.

Emmett waivered slightly as she said this. This conviction in her voice cut directly to his soul. It also didn't help that he would have done the same thing and he knew that she knew it. In fact, they all would have done the same. Which is why Edward was currently being operated on.

Instead of replying, Emmett merely stepped forward and took her in his arms. "I'm sorry, Bells. I was just so worried."

"I know, big brother. I love you, too."

"Bella." Carlisle's voice called from across the room. They both turned and the others gathered around. "He's going to be fine. Should be able to go home in a few days. The bullet missed anything major. Just a little muscle damage."

She ran over and threw herself in his arms. "Oh, thank God."

"He'll be moved to a room shortly. I'll let you know when." He pulled back and wiped tears from her face. "Thank you so much." He smiled kindly. "No, thank you. For loving him so much." With that, he turned to walk away.

She turned back to the others in the room. She then shot a smile at Emmett. "Em, it's all over." He nodded before returning her smile.

"Swan!" They both turned toward the doors that led outside. There stood Harry Clearwater. "Bella. Can we talk?"

"Sure." They made their way outside. He leaned against the wall of the hospital while Bella sat.

"I heard what you did in there. I'm not sure if I should be proud of you being brave or mad because of you being stupid." She shot her head up to see him grinning at her. "You remind me so much of your dad it ain't funny."

"I just wanted everyone else safe." He nodded. "I know." He knelt down beside her. "Listen, I know that you've been offered great spots at these other agencies."

"Yes, sir."

"I've been doing this job for over 20 years now, and I'm thinking it might be time to look into cutting back on how much time I spend at the station. So, I've got a proposition for you."

She looked curious, wondering where this was going. "I'm not doing a full retirement. I'd go crazy it I did. But, I could use a good Lieutenant. Think you might be interested in a promotion?"

She smiled. "Cap, why are you offering this to me? There are plenty of guys that have been there a lot longer than me."

He chuckled. "Yeah, but not quite as qualified as you."

She sat silent for a moment. "I'll tell you what. Give me a little time to think it over. I'll let you know something in, say, a month?"

He smirked. "Two weeks."

"Deal."

**I know. Ya'll are probably about ready to kill me right now. Our story will be ending soon. I think the next chapter, since the bad guys are all gone, will be the epilogue. I already have ideas churning for a new story. Hopefully, in between school and work, I will be able to get it started. Please, read and review.**


	21. Epilogue

Epilogue:

"Captain? You wanted to see me?" Edward poked his head into the captain's office while talking.

"Yeah, Cullen. Come on in." His wife was lying on the office couch, her hands on her swollen belly. "You know? You don't have to call me captain when everyone else is gone."

"I know. I just like the way it sounds." He lifted her feet, sat, and replaced them on his lap. "Baby, why don't you take the day off. You know we can hold down the fort here. Lieutenant Clearwater and I can handle things."

When Bella went to Harry with her decision, he shocked her. Come to find out, he wasn't offering her the Lieutenant position. She was to become the new captain while giving himself a demotion. Doing this made him Edward's new partner.

A month later, she became pregnant. This happened right after she wiped the pavement with Jacob after the marathon. She finished a full 20 minutes ahead of anyone else.

When she went in for her first sonogram, the doctor shocked her by informing them that they were expecting twins. Apparently they ran in Edward's family. At the time her pregnancy came about, Alice gave birth to her twin boys: Jackson and Matthew. They were beautiful boys, dark hair with blue eyes.

They also found out that Rose was pregnant again as well, a little girl due next month. Thankfully, her pregnancy was complication free.

"I know you can handle it. I just feel the need to be here. I get too restless at home." She pouted at him, her brown eyes growing wide.

He gave her a smirk. "Fine. But, you know. You are due at anytime. The doctor told you to take it easy."

"I am. I'm lying on the couch instead of running the roads." He chuckled as she laughed lightly. "But, if I'm honest with you, I have been feeling a little weird today."

His face grew serious. "Baby, are you okay? Do you need me to get you anything?" She reached over and grabbed one of his hands. "I'm fine, love. Just a little uncomfortable today."

"What have you been feeling?" She shrugged. "My back is a little tender. But, other than that, not much."

He leaned over, kissing her gently. "Alright, well, I'm going to finish my paperwork real quick. I'll be back in about 10. Okay?"

"Alright, baby. I'll be right here."

He stood carefully, not wanting to jostle her too much. When he arrived at his desk, he put in a call real quick to Emmett.

"_Yo."_

"Hey, bro. I need to ask you something, since you've been through this before."

"_Worried about Bells?"_

"Yeah. She said she's having some back pains. She's in laying on the couch in the office right now."

"_She's due anytime, right?"_

"Yeah, she's…" He was cut off by a scream from the office. "Edward!"

"I gotta go. Something's wrong." He hung up before Emmett could respond and ran into the office. "What is it, love?"

"I think my water just broke." Sure enough, there was liquid on the couch. "Alright baby. Let's get you to the hospital."

* * *

"Oh my god. They're beautiful." Bella wasn't quite sure where the compliment came from. The room was full of their family and friends, admiring the two newest members of the Cullen-Swan-Hale clan.

Carlie Abigail Cullen was exactly the image her father wanted. She was born with a mop of curly brown hair and big green eyes. Anthony Charles Cullen was just the opposite. He had his mother's chocolate brown eyes and his father's bronze colored hair. They both had fair skin with a hint of pink on the cheeks, just like Bella. However, they were long and lean just like Edward. They were easily the two most beautiful babies ever seen.

Edward sat on the bed next to Bella, cradling his baby girl while she fed Anthony. He looked at her with all the love and adoration he had in him. His dreams had finally come true. He had the woman of his dreams as his wife, and she had just given birth to his children.

Bella felt much the same way. She was married to her soul mate who gave her the two greatest gifts in the world. With love and protection, they managed to achieve their happily ever after.

* * *

Character Update:

Bella and Edward did live happily ever after, eventually having one more baby. So, in addition to Carlie and Anthony, they also had little Emmie Renee.

Rose, Emmett, and Charlie were joined by Natalee Hope, a month after Bella and Edward's twins were born.

Jasper and Alice didn't have any more children after their sons were born, but they did move back home. Jasper rejoined the local force after Harry retired, becoming Edward's partner once more.

Jake and Leah eventually married. They have yet to have children because Leah wants to work on her career first, as a GBI investigator.

Bella is still the captain at the office. The squad voted to make Emmett the new Lieutenant. After all, Charlie would have wanted it that way, as did all of the officers they work with.

Edward's parents are happy to baby sit for all of their children, natural or adopted. Blood or not, they are all family.

* * *

**Well, there you have it. We have come to the end of the road. I hope you enjoyed To Protect and Love. I have a new idea for another story that I plan on starting tonight. You will probably see a theme (some form of law enforcement). I have a thing about criminal justice, it is my major after all. So, just don't be surprised if you follow me to the next story. Thank you so much for your kind reviews. For my first fanfic, this has been an incredible journey and I loved every chapter of it.**


	22. Note to Readers

**To my faithful followers of **_**To Protect and Love**_**,**

**I have uploaded the first two chapters of my newest fanfic, **_**Breaking Free**_**. It is a darker and slightly more disturbing piece. However, as with my first story, and any future ones, it will have a happy ending. As a romantic at heart, you can always count on that. Please, check it out and tell me what you think.**

**Thank you so much,**

**MaryAnn**

**P.S. I am a huge fan of Evanescence. So, if I ever incorporate any of their lyrics or the theme seems dark, it is because I listen to it as I write.**


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